Vengeance - A Walking Dead Fanfiction
by Winterscorpion
Summary: Inspired by the Season 8 promo in which there is a shot of Rick in his boxers seemingly imprisoned possibly by Jadis & Garbage People. Multi-chapter fic that involves a plan to get Rick out of captivity and advance the war to the advantage of our faves, along with flashbacks reminiscent of love scenes as well as heartfelt conversations as well as strategic guerilla warfare.
1. Chapter 1

**One.**

 _Michonne is gonna kill this bitch_ , Rick thought as he peered through the small hole that was providing the little amount of light in the dingy...cell? Room? Whatever this metal enclosed box was that they were holding him in.

He was trapped, and they were no doubt planning some fucked up shit to send him through (or to turn him over to Negan) but he wasn't worried. In fact, he was almost giddy at the thought of his katana wielding warrior woman exacting her revenge. Not just for this final act of treason, but the many acts of disrespect and betrayal she had to withstand since bringing these "people", using the term loosely in his head, into their lives. These trash heap people were supposed to be on _their_ side, or so they thought.

Rick wasn't gonna make that mistake again. He just needed to get out of here. Michonne was coming, he knew.

He wasn't used to playing the Damsel in Distress, waiting for someone to rescue him. _He_ was usually the leader…the one people looked to to lead the charge. _He_ leads the rescue missions. _He_ bites necks, swings the machete… _he_ …decided it was not the best time to dwell on what he was used to doing. He had to refocus. This was all part of THE PLAN and patience, although not one of his virtues, was necessary. Especially if he wanted THE PLAN to succeed..and hell fucking yeah he wanted it to succeed. _Especially_ if it meant Michonne would get to exact her well deserved act of vengeance. God, he would do anything to see her get everything she wanted and deserved, and if it meant sitting pretty for the time being, then he'd be Pretty Ricky for the allotted time.

… But it might make them suspicious if he didn't make some sort of show of resistance. After all these "People", especially the Queen of Weird who currently had her squinty eye trained on him, would expect _something._ Yelling, swearing… vows of intense retribution… wouldn't she? He _had_ to do something.

As if she felt the hate exuding from the single cerulean eye peeping out of the tiny hole in the corrugated metal wall, Jadis of the Bad Hair Day turned from her whispered discussion to squint at their prisoner.

"Comfortable, leader? Will be over soon," she said in her stilted way of talking.

"You should come in here and find out," he practically snarled. He actually couldn't stomach the idea of her being within five feet of him. The smell on its own was enough, but then there was the fact that this bitch actually shot him and survived to tell the tale. But if he was going to keep them from getting suspicious, he'd need to at least _attempt_ to keep his bile down and his swagger up.

Jadis turned back to her two favorite minions, Tauriel and the one Rick had dubbed Apocalypse Lurch, to continue their low spoken pow wow for a couple of minutes more. Then finally, taking her sweet ass time, she turned and began her lanky stalk to Rick's eye hole.

She squatted down to his eye level and tilted her head to the left, giving him a curious look.

"Wasn't supposed to turn out this way." She said in her unusual monotone. "The trade would have been in both favors. Yours, mine, whole group happy… in a way."

"How do you figure me and _mine_ , would've been happy with whatever bargain you worked out with the Saviours?" Rick growled, truly baffled at this woman's gall.

"Now you never know. Shame." Jadis tossed back at him in a low gravelly voice, for once showing some emotion, which surprised even Rick.

She then stooped down even lower. Rick could only really see the top of her head for a moment, but she came up quickly and _actually stuck her fuckin' tongue out at him,_ licking the wall so that it caught his wide open eye. _Motherfucker._ Fury and disgust skyrocketed through him like a brush fire, and Rick almost gagged. The thought of her touching him with _any_ part of her revolted him, _especially_ her wet tongue. But _of course_ , this toxic waste bitch took the opportunity when he least expected it and when he couldn't stop her. His fist instinctively slammed into the wall, causing a loud, sharp _**thud**_ that only flesh against metal could make.

"Let me out of here, _Goddammit!_ " he yelled.

"Soon. Time is soon." Jadis went back to her monotone, looking sickeningly pleased with herself, and stood up. Without another word, she turned on her army boot heel and slowly walked away.

Rick watched her go, fuming. Murderous.

 _Yeahhh… my woman is gonna kill this bitch_.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note:_**

 ** _This will be the only Author's Note at the head of the Chapter and the rest (if any - author's notes not chapters :-) ) will come at the end of my chapters. That said, let me just say OH MY GOD I am in awe at the response that I've received for my first ever fanfic. Overwhelmed, overjoyed... over the moon that you are reading something that I wrote._**

 ** _If you came to this story through Tumblr then you already know but I have to say it again just in case: THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO THE AWESOME SUNBURST OF A WOMAN KENDRAWRITER33. She is my inspiration, co-conspirator and just all around WCW (everyday). Without her accidental roll call this would have never made it out of my head and onto my laptop._**

 ** _Ok to reviewers:_**

 ** _RBGzMom and ZeeJack: Yes that nasty dye job mess of a woman took her nasty tongue and licked all up on that wall and into our boy's eye. I loved writing that terribleness and I almost want to give him Pink Eye from it (but I won't - I think) because I thought "what would a smug trash broad do if she had the finest man of the apocalypse in her clutches?" and in her warped mind I feel like this is her idea of seduction... erm I just threw up a little in my mouth._**

 ** _comewithNattah, SophiasOwn and can08 high praise from y'all and I'm high key in awe of all of your work so .. wait.. I'm not crying... nope not at all. and yes "Pretty Ricky what they call him" in my Martin Lawrence voice is one of my favorite things. I think I'll just keep calling him that in my head from now on._**

 ** _Now let's get to it shall we:_**

 **Two.**

 _I'm gonna_ _ **kill**_ _that bitch,_ Michonne thought as she slowly pulled the sling that held her katana over her head and adjusted it into place.

The soreness from her still healing body announced itself in protest to her usually nimble movement. Movement she'd practiced over the last couple of years... the same action time and time again as she faced battle with the gross undead.

That bitch Jadis and her gang of trash heap refugees came out of nowhere, when they weren't ready. It wasn't something Michonne ever wanted to happen again, and she was going to make sure it didn't. At the time, her and Rick had both been recovering...among other things. The added exertion from a few nights before probably didn't help in the healing process but it didn't matter right now. All that had mattered then was that she was with Rick again and the need overcame any remaining discomfort that her mending body tried to protest. In fact, to her surprise the mixture of pain and pleasure made it all the better to Michonne. The pleasure/pain remix of their love would be something to further explore in the future, Michonne thought wryly as she tried to stalk silently from their home.

First thing first, however. Mission: Kill That Bitch was foremost in her mind as she silently and slowly moved down the steps of the porch.

"Mierda!" Rosita whispered to herself as she saw Michonne from her window walking purposely towards the gates. No doubt to get into one of the cars they had sitting outside and use it to get to Rick. She should have known Michonne wouldn't be able to stick with the plan once it was fully underway. Even though Rosita was in constant awe of Michonne's ability to perpetually have her shit together, she understood as she watched the beautiful Samurai stalk, head up proudly, moving with purpose, that the abduction of their leader would not go quietly into that good night for her. She had _been_ Michonne only a few weeks ago, on her suicide mission to avenge her family and her soul which was irreparably damaged after that night in the forest. On her knees, watching that fucking barbed bat bash time and time again into _his_ strong bull head, she knew if she survived the night she would make Negan pay. Make them all pay for what they did to Abe. For what they did to Glenn. For shattering everything they were trying to build in this new godforsaken world of the dead.

But then Sasha sacrificed herself and everything changed for Rosita. She _wanted_ to live. To honor her sacrifice and to honor the beloved dead so brutally taken that night. She knew what she had to do as she hastily grabbed her jacket and her Beretta, checked her ammo and headed out the door.

It wasn't hard to catch up to Michonne. She was moving slower than normal, still maintaining her usual sleek grace, but with obvious focus. Purpose. Like a wild cat stalking prey. She was not fucking around. _Dios, how_ _ **does**_ _she move like that_ Rosita thought, _if I went through half of what she went through I'd be limping like a broke bum and looking like one too_.

Michonne barely turned her head to acknowledge Rosita but in one glance they nodded to each other silently and headed for the gate together. Tobin was standing guard at the gate. When he saw them approaching, he nearly shit himself. The two toughest women he'd ever known were headed straight for him and it looked like they were hellbent on going out of the gate, no questions asked. And one of them was basically the First Lady and who the hell was going to argue with her? They were right up on him all too quickly it seemed, and he made a split decision to (god help him) make his way down the ladder. He knew better than to protest. He simply opened the gate. The two women didn't even acknowledge him as they walked past the open gate and directly to the beat up brown Cadillac that they knew had the most gas and keys under the driver's seat mat.

Rosita headed straight for the driver's side as Michonne made her way to the passenger's side. These were silently agreed upon positions. Michonne was still very focused. Rosita didn't argue. Her leader merely sat and looked out of the window as Rosita started the car and pulled out.

After ten minutes of lonely road and brooding silence, Rosita finally glanced over to Michonne.

"So… how do you wanna kill this bitch?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just a quick one at the head to say THANK YOU to all of the follows and reviews - I'll cover my responses below after the chapter and above all THANK YOU AGAIN TO MY BETA KENDRAWRITER33 I will probably thank you on every chapter because you deserve it.**

 **Ok so now here's some ... stuff and THANGS.**

 **Three**

 _"_ _Look sweetheart, I want to as bad as you do. Believe me!" Rick rasped to the woman currently sprawled on top of him staring down at him with her beautiful brown doe eyes. He didn't even understand how she got there in the first place but it was the warm wet tongue gliding on his neck that woke him up in the middle of the quiet night. "But we're both still recoverin'… aaaannd you and I both know gentle ain't how we get down."_

 _Michonne gave a little snicker and proceeded to plant feather light kisses on the side of his bearded chin. When she was satisfied, she looked down at him with hooded eyes, "That… is no lie…" kiss "but… we can..." kiss, "Try..." kiss… she made her way to his ear lobe, which she knew would be the clincher. She didn't know what came over her but she awoke in a sweaty, agitated state and knew there was only one way to return to the usual calm she exuded. Maybe it was the formulation of The Plan from the big meeting between her, Rick, Daryl and the rest of their inner circle that awoke the sleeping beast that was her desire for her man. Maybe because so much was at stake for it to all work out and continue living in the dangerous makeshift world they come to live in. Maybe… she was just horny as hell and missed her man after weeks of recovery and then being in battle ready mode. All she knew is that her eyes shot open, it was 1:48AM, her hot blooded,_ _ **shirtless**_ _, bearded man was snoring lightly next to her. Looking too warm, too inviting and dammit too enticing not to start something. Now that she started, her mission was to_ _ **finish**_ _!_

 _Even though Rick had tried his best to delay and hold off, he eventually succumbed to her (and obviously his) desire to fulfill the hunger that had been building after the seemingly endless drought. Truthfully it had been only a few weeks, but they had to give themselves time to heal properly and plan the tactics that they would use to overcome those bastards._

 _Smirking down at her, Rick pulled Michonne's chin up and placed a soft kiss on her nose. "Yeah… I guess we could try,' he said as he slid his other hand down her side, ending at her hip, so close to his favorite resting spot for his hands – that marvelous behind. In one swift, smooth motion he maneuvered her so that she was underneath him. Careful to not put all of his weight on her and also mindful of the still healing gunshot on his hip he rested on his elbows and nudged his knee between her warm thighs so he could kiss her deeper._

 _With a satisfied sigh, Michonne let her dominant man take over as usual, and the next thing she knew, he had his right hand on her throat, his thumb caressing her pulse, and his left was making its way up to the warm junction between her thighs. She hissed inwardly once he felt her naked mound._

 _"_ _No panties, woman?" he growled, "You came prepared to win tonight didn't ya?"_

 _"_ _I always do…I …ohh damn", She moaned loudly when, without preamble, she felt him push two of his calloused fingers inside of her._

 _"_ _Shh… if we're gonna try this… then we're gonna have to_ _ **try**_ _to keep it down too, baby" he whispered in his raspy drawl that always seemed to get more southern at times like these. "We got two kids down the hall and one's a light sleeper who don't give a damn once we've woken her up" he said as he picked up the pace and added the pressure of his thumb onto her ultra-sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her vulva._

 _'_ _Keep it down' Who the hell was he kidding? If Michonne could have rolled her eyes and kissed her teeth she would have but she was too busy succumbing to the explosive orgasm she was having. She_ _ **actually**_ _saw stars behind her tightly closed eyes as she moaned "Ohhhhhh my …mmmm. Damnit… Rick-!" Rick tried to quiet her down by kissing her and pushing his tongue inside of her mouth, slowly twisting and turning it in tandem with his fingers and her tongue._

 _"_ _Three minutes… Damn that must be a record or somethin' Chonne… whaaa" he wasn't expecting her swift and smooth slide down the mattress as she brought his pajama pants down with her. She engulfed his already dripping head and twirled her tongue around it like it was the sweetest lollipop._ Christ this woman is going to kill me, he _thought as he felt her hot tongue run down the underside of his manhood, following his pulsing center vein towards his swiftly tightening balls. It was all he could do not to holler out himself but he still had the presence of mind to bite down on his lower lip. Knowing their little girl, she had a way of waking up at the most inopportune times and his head would probably explode if Michonne stopped her ministrations. With that in mind, he made his own swift move onto one knee, cradling her head in his right hand and moved her easily back to headboard. His woman and he were so in sync she didn't miss a beat nor did she relinquish her hold on his cock. He could've been proposing, he briefly thought, if his hand wasn't at the base of his penis basically feeding her his dick in a torturously slow in and out pull from the vacuum like hold of her beautiful plush lipped mouth. The buildup was getting to be almost too much to bear, he had to grip the headboard with his other hand when she did that trick she always managed to undo him with - relaxing her throat so his head went allll the way down and he lost all control._

 _"_ _Fuuuuuuckkkkk… goddamnit … Michonne… unnghh!" he roared as he released what felt like the cum shot for all ages into her awaiting mouth._

BANG! BANG! A fist against metal made Rick's eyes fly open.

"What the fuck?!" He yelled at his invisible interloper to his "meditatin'" as he remembered his night with Michonne. It was only a few days ago but it felt like forever that they were in their own little world in their bedroom. He looked confusedly around the hot, dark cell with sweat rolling down his face as he heard a metallic grating sound. A slot revealed itself on the opposite wall from him and a metal plate slid in through it. It reminded him of his days back as a sheriff and how they'd feed the misbehaving prisoners in confinement at his precinct jail. What could only be described as a brown amalgamation of what looked like instant potato mush and peas with something passing as gravy landed not so enticingly near his foot on the filthy dirt packed floor.

"Eat now. Need strength for what comes..." the disjointed voice came from the other side. Rick didn't recognize the voice so it must've been one of the trash heap's minions sent to feed and guard him.

"Go fuck yourself." Rick snarled and kicked the plate back towards the hole.

"Suit yourself…Time will come when you wish you had."

"Seriously… go _fuck_ yours-!" the grate slammed shut.

 _Hurry baby because I'm about to kill all of these motherfuckers up in here_ , Rick thought to himself and returned to his "meditatin".

 **Author's Note: chezza3009 thank you thank you thank you! and who wouldn't get turned on seeing that bad ass Warrior Samurai woman deal with what needs to be dealt with... you'll see. and I hope you like**

 **wereworldsurvivor, enjoi, riyaboo12, and RBGzMom damn y'all hate for Jadis rivals my own. Like when I say I can't wait to kill her... I actually have to stop myself from writing that chapter before I even do the other ones. I hope it's a special enough kill for y'all.**

 **impvme, courtgirl26, tigerwalk, sophiasown thank you! I really wanted to see some Lady bonding from the family. I've said this before but I don't know if the writers don't know how to write women conversations or they just don't know how to write Michonne's relationships but other than a hug from Maggie I can count on my one hand Michonne saying word 1 to the other female characters. Also, I thought of how it was Michonne and Rosita who went out to get Sasha from her PTSD walker murder spree and they didn't really even talk then and maybe wanted to explore that because these two are the baddest bitches as far as I'm concerned (not to exclude Carol or Maggie but still..) and it's my story so I'm partnering them up dammit.**

 **Now siancore dammit I am shooketh that you even read this so... there's that! Thank you**

 **and to can08, comewithnattah tigerwalk dammit I am in awe of your support! I hope I covered everyone and I hope you enjoy my little dash of spice.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Four.**

"Are y'all gonna kill that bitch by y'all selves?!" Daryl's voice came crackling from the walkie talkie. "What part of the plan is that Michonne?"

Rosita glanced sideways to Michonne as she watched her give an exasperated sigh while staring at the walkie talkie on the Cadillac's dashboard like it was personally offending her.

"I knew I should have left that at home." Michonne intoned softly to herself, almost forgetting that she was the passenger on this ride. _That damn Tobin must have radioed Daryl the moment we pulled off .. punk ass,_ she thought, _probably didn't even wait until we were out of sight._

And now Daryl was hollering at her like she wasn't a grown ass woman. As if she didn't know the stakes, as if it wasn't her _entire_ world that was just snatched from her. As if she would risk her man's life or her's for that matter without knowing the odds were in her favor beforehand.

"Are we going with shock and awe? Or silent and deadly?" Rosita questioned as she kept her eyes straight ahead on the road. She knew Michonne had either formulated an alternate plan or was in the midst of formulating one as they drove, but they were getting to point in the road where she would need some sort of direction.

"The plan can still work," Michonne said quietly, "I'm going to get him out and it _will_ still work. I just can't have him there any longer. I just can't. "

" _Mira_ , I understand. You don't have to explain anything to me. I just need to know if I'm making a right here or taking the exit up further..."

"I'm … thinking." And with that Rosita slowed the car to a halt. Both still staring straight ahead Michonne whispered, "This … this is not some suicide mission. I … don't know what Sasha and you were thinking but _this_? This is _not_ the same."

"It's not. I know it's not… after Spencer…" Rosita paused as she swallowed the lump rising in her throat, "That was the last straw. I was tired of losing. I lost Abraham. _Twice._ I just couldn't do it anymore. It was them or me and I had no problem with it being me. But now…" She thought back to seeing that coward _Puta_ Eugene say _I'm Negan_ and then Sasha coming out of that coffin with her once sparkling eyes now dead and foggy, snarling after Negan. The fire began in her heart then. A fire that wanted to burn every Savior within a five-mile vicinity, _including_ Eugene. Even when that tiger flew out of nowhere, she knew this fire would not be extinguished until she saw that happen. It was her reason for living, now. So, she would live - if only to see them die.

"Michonne. I _know_ we're not going to lose and I _know_ you've got this. But … what I don't know is whether I am making a right _here_ or taking the next exit." Rosita said quietly, giving Michonne a bit of side eye and a side smirk.

Now Michonne had a choice to make and she needed to make it soon. Rosita's faith and belief in her gave her the added spark she didn't know she needed. She had righteous indignation and a burning desire to sink her Katana into someone's heart on her side and now she had Rosita's burning hope to go along with them. She thought it through, like she always did with everything, and there was no reason the plan couldn't go as scheduled. Those… trash _things…_ moved up schedule when they took Rick from her. When that _female_ (Michonne couldn't even dignify her with the distinction of sharing the same species title of woman with her) violated her, not once, not twice but _thrice_!

Goddamit it wasn't going to happen again. Jadis wasn't going to see another daylight and now that Rosita was with her, Michonne was more determined than ever that they would all be the ones to live and watch all of their enemies die. Slow, fast, no matter, for most of them - but one in particular - would have her special attention. _One_ would know that Michonne's family was not to be messed with. To quote her man, that Bowl Cut did not know who she was fucking with.

With a long breath, Michonne picked up the walkie talkie and clicked on the speaker. "Look Daryl, you're either beside me or behind me… catch up." And clicked off.

She finally graced Rosita with her full attention. "Ok. We're heading to STASH 6 first and then stopping at The Kingdom for a couple more reinforcements. You good with that?"

Rosita didn't think she could smile after everything they'd been through... but she felt the corners of her mouth lift and the smile muscles she thought had atrophied from misuse surely got a workout just then. It seemed that Michonne wanted both Shock and Awe _and_ Silent and Deadly. Sweet.

"Next exit it is, then." With that, Rosita started the car back up again.

 **A/N You people are amazing. From the follows to the reviews y'all are just everything and I am thankful. Now I know you all want Jadis to die and believe me no one wants that more than me so I promise you I'm gonna get to it. Also, I know that these next couple of chapters are short but as my awesome beta kendrawriter33 said** **. if I keep them short and updated often, it'll feel like watching an episode between commercial breaks -** **so that's what I'm going to try to do. Review responses will be on my next chapter which I promise is fast approaching. xo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Five.**

 _Shit Chonne_ , Daryl thought quietly as he tried in vain to raise her back on the walkie talkie after she so abruptly cut him off.

"She's right you know," Aaron said resolutely, "The plan can still work. Everything is already in place and if it goes into play, win or lose, the time has come."

Aaron, Eric and Daryl were heading back from one of the many recognizance missions that they had been on for a week when they got the urgent code red call from a very shaken Tobin informing them of Rosita's and Michonne's hasty departure. Aaron had felt it on their journey that the climax of this … war (it really was the only term for what they were now engaged in with The Saviors) was fast approaching. He felt it in the tense air that filled the car the closer they got to home even before they got the message from Tobin. Somehow he just knew... Michonne had taken the reins into her more than capable hands and pushed the lever down on the powder keg that had been brewing since that fateful night in the forest.

He looked over to the back seat of the Jeep, where his partner Eric was trying to appear as stoic as possible amidst the chaos surely going on in his mind. But one glance at Aaron and he could see it in his hazel eyes. Eric was putting on a show, not just for Daryl but for him too. _Now that is bravery_ , Aaron thought. _It can't be easy for him to show a brave face now of all times._ Not when the stakes were so high. But _because_ they were so high - that was exactly why they all had to be brave. Brave like this man he loved so fiercely that the thought of losing him drove him to fight. Who knew they were going to be soldiers in an unprovoked war, fighting for their home and their people's survival? Fuck, who the hell knew that the world would go to entire shit with the dead arising and preying on the living? But this was their world now and even after tremendous losses, and more to come surely, they were going to fight to keep the last bit of decent humanity alive not just for them but for the future.

Daryl hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. _What would Rick do?_ Was the question that was constantly running in his head for the past few minutes as he tried to control the rage he had been feeling ever since that side burnt face shit Dwight put an arrow through Denise's head. If he was honest with himself this rage had been there since back in the old days when he had to watch his burnt out shed of a home smolder with his mother's remains still inside and all he had was his drug addled brother and his hunting bow for solace. His rage smoldered as he carried Beth's lifeless body from that fucked up hospital community and it lay in wait while he had to put his own brother down. It burned for redemption against that Patch Eyed fuck, the so-called Governor. The rage bubbled unexpectedly to the surface and no matter what Maggie said he _knew_ it was his rage that caused Glenn's gruesome death in that night in the forest. That's why he was trying to control it now. No mistaken shows of bravado. No outburst of fiery anger.

 _What would Rick do?_ Hell, he knew what his brother, not only in arms or metaphorically anymore but his real brother after all they'd been through would do. He'd SEEN what Rick could do, with his teeth alone when his boy and his woman were threatened. He'd KILL THEM ALL. In the most brutal way possible. With no restraint and no containment. But now Rick would do it strategically. Maximum force with minimum loss were the name of the game for the final end of this deadly game they were playing. And Michonne was right. He needed to catch up… or be left behind.

"Well alright…" Daryl finally came to his conclusion and turned the car towards The Kingdom. For some reason, he knew if shit was gonna need doin' he was going to have get the gears moving and the first person he needed to get them moving was there. "Let's go kill 'em all then".

Aaron and Eric exchanged another glance and then settled in for the ride.

 **A/N: Hey y'all just like I warned you these couple of chapters are a little short and I hope that I'm not drawing it out unnecessarily but I'm writing as it comes so really happy y'all are along for the ride. Thank you again for all the awesome follows and reviews and just the overall support that you've been giving.**

 **ok now on to your awesome reviews:**

 **Can08, sophiasown, RBGzMom, wereworldsurvivor, riyaboo, jerkchickenz & enjoi, y'all do make me laugh. I had to do some ****_MEDITATIN'_** **on my own while I was writing it and had a real life blush when I sent it to my awesome Beta Kendrawriter33 because it was my first time and I tried to get it right. I couldn't possibly imagine gentle was how they got down AT ALL. soo...**

 **comewithnattah firstly, I'm thinking about giving you warnings not to hurt your boss in the future if you promise not to get into swerve into anymore traffic when you get an update aight? LOL really love your reviews! They make my day.**

 **sugaree, courtgirl26, MannaRN and idontsleep22 and y'all who are loving the Rosita & Michonne tag team THANK YOU! I saw that them riding in the promo and I just felt that they were on a mission and that mission could only be Pretty Ricky because Michonne looked pissed to be damned. **

**And to all you Jadis haters ... don't worry I'm keeping my eye on the prize but don't get mad (SPOILER ALERT) if there is a bit more come from her stank ass. Your suggestions on her method of death are definitely being taken into consideration LOL. Damn y'all...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

 _Rick slowly released the death grip he had on the headboard and eased his somewhat sated cock from Michonne's now relaxed mouth. He then practically melted down beside her as his body now felt boneless after the tremendous force of his coming undone abated._

" _Christ…" he breathed out as he flopped onto his sweaty back. Shit, if Negan only knew… he didn't need an army of leather clad, motorcycle riding sociopaths. His secret weapon was laying right beside him with those gorgeous lips and physics defying throat breathing heavy and grinning at him. If Negan knew what Rick knew Rick would be D-E-A-D and be the only Walker shufflin' around with the biggest smile on its face._

" _Yeah, Christ is a good word for that…" Michonne giggled quietly, seemingly quite pleased with herself._

 _Rick gave her the only side eye as his heart beat settled down and palmed his still semi-hard erection. "Now what are you over there gigglin' 'bout? At least I lasted more'n 3 minutes."_

" _Yeah, but who's the one that almost woke up the bab…Rick!", Michonne gasped as Rick had his hand under her knee and was lifting it to make space for him to maneuver himself and more importantly his disheveled curly head between her thighs. "mmmm… I thought we had concluded this exercise in trying" she moaned out as he took his first long taste of her that he'd had in ages._

" _Well, sweetheart…" his tongue did one long stroke from her already moist entrance to her sensitive bud, "I just needed a minute…" another long stroke "to see if she started cryin'…" another languid stroke and Michonne was already writhing as his both his hands held onto her hips. "And she's still asleep and I'm not done… TRYIN'" on his third stroke he'd flattened his tongue so he could get all of the nectar she was now leaking profusely over his beard and mouth. His next stroke was the death stroke as he made his way to her clit and put those pink lush lips of his to work and sucked hard._

 _Michonne bit her bottom lip and grabbed the top of his curls as she pushed her center more into his face. He could have suffocated if he didn't use all his strength in his arms and hands to keep her smooth chocolate thighs apart. He could tell she was close as his tongue was now doing overtime going in and out of her now hot canal._ Oh no you don't he thought… not without me this time, _he thought as he stopped altogether, raising his head, grabbed both of her hands by the wrist and pulled them above her head as he slid his way up to give her deep kiss._

" _No Ma'am... not done by a long shot" as he held her wrists with his strong right hand and used his left to position his rock hard dick at her entrance and thrust in in a well practiced move._

DAAAAAMMMN! _He thought her mouth was the killer but damn if it wasn't the tight wet cavern of heaven he was slowly moving in and out of. Michonne was of the same mind, as she felt ALL of his thick girth making it's way back home and remarking it's territory with precision with each thrust going deeper into her core. She WAS on the verge of reaching for her Katana when he'd suddenly stopped his extremely pleasurable oral fixation on her pussy but from the first thrust her eyes had rolled to the top of her head and she had lost all coherent thought._

 _Rick was using every bit of restraint not to fold her like a card with her knees at her shoulders and him drilling into her like he was mining for gold. He could feel her fighting her normal base urges also as he felt her trying to pull her wrists free from his ironclad hold on her. Probably to pull more hair out his head or put more scratches on his back as the previous ones she'd made had long healed and faded as it had been a few weeks since she done the damage she usually did during their vigorous lovemaking._

" _Baby… oh god … I'm tryin'… not to… fuck you feel so fuckin' Gooood" Rick moaned into her mouth as he felt his bulbous head hit bottom. He finally relinquished his hold on her as he needed both of his hands to get to his kingdom come place – her glorious ass - taking over her motions to meet his thrusts blow for blow.[_

" _I'm .. never staying away…" as he thrust harder, "from this tight pussy.." pull and thrust.. "Ever Again Chonne" he murmured into her ear. Michonne could barely breathe, muscles unused in so long began to clench around his manhood. "You better fucking not…ohh my god Rick… harder… mmm… Please I can take it."_

" _Fuck…" and with that Rick lost all control and leaned up on his forearms and pulled out just enough to grab her leg and flip her over and then held her down by her waist as he pushed back into her with a hard, deep thrust._

" _Like that baby? You sure you can take it?" Rick was on a roll now and nothing short of a herd of walkers coming through their bedroom door would be able to stop the momentum he was building._

" _I'm taking it baby … GOD… I'm trying …mmmGrrrrrr" Michonne was starting to make nonsensical noises now that Rick was so deep he was hitting every corner of her core._

" _Grrr? Woman… are you growlin' at me?" Rick couldn't help but chuckle without pausing his relentless assault on her pussy. "C'mon baby.. purr for me" as he hit the spot inside her that he knew would be the end of her. "Purr for this dick". He felt the swell of his oncoming climax and he wanted… no needed to be with her as she came. Resolved to get the job done he slipped his hand under her and began to rub on her exposed nub._

 _That did the trick as he felt her stiffen beneath him and got impossibly tighter around his manhood. "That's it's baby… That's fuckin it" as he buried his head in her neck and tried to mentally prepare his body for what felt like another mind blowing release._

" _Yesssss… Rick don't you dare fucking stop… Don't you fuckin… Ohhhh Grrrrrrr mmm! Fuck!" Michonne let out another moan as Rick held onto her hip and wrist for dear life and he rode his own wave of completion._

"Wake."

Rick's eyes flew open once again, after another bout of pleasant dreams, to the front of the black army boot of Jadis of the Shade. _How the fuck long has she been watching him sleep_ he wondered.

"What the fuck do _you_ want?" he practically snarled as he picked himself up to a sitting position. He knew it was her from the musty smell permeating from her slim frame, so much like his poor dead wife. He couldn't believe he even made that comparison now but when he thought about the levels of betrayal he'd been victim to from both of those women it almost made sense. And pretty soon Jadis would be just as dead as Lori if everything went to plan. Although he didn't harbor the burning hate for poor tragic Lori that he had for Jadis. Only a brief moment of guilt and true sadness really differentiated the two. But that wasn't something he could dwell on now or ever really.

It was clear Jadis had something to say so he hoped she'd get it all out – in a way that made sense and not the stupid cyborg speech he knew she'd adopted just for the Apocalypse Jane act she had going. At least King Ezekiel got real every once in awhile, taking a break from his "hitherto's" and "harken to my reign's" kingly speech when it came down to planning the few successful attempts to rout their enemy's multiple outposts. And oh Rick definitely noticed that he got _really_ real during their most recent outing to divest that outpost of all it's ammunition and add to their growing series of STASHES. Rick would never forget the righteous roar the king gave when he shouted "Yeah motherfucker… that's my tiger, her name's Shiva!" while his precious tiger ripped the arm off that one Savior .

Rick chuckled at the memory, almost forgetting that he could barely breathe from the stuffiness of the hot metal cell they were keeping him in.

"What amuses you?" His mildewy hostshe queried with a derisive smirk and that ubiquitous squint to her black eyes. "Few reasons to be happy now."

"You come here for a reason? Or can I go back to thinkin' 'bout how you're gonna die?" Rick had no time for idle chit chat. He was sitting in his boxers on a dirt packed floor sweating his balls off and now this bitch wanted to conversate as if they were old friends. The least she could've done was brought his clothes back to him. He thanked all the gods and sweet baby Jesus too that his trusty Colt Python wasn't on him when they took him. He also knew, one way or another, he was going to get his red handled machete back. He'd find it if he had to render this whole trash heap to rubble. He had spotted that wiry cat sculpture amongst the piles of refuse and known instantly it had Michonne's name on it, so before this was over his former sheriff's eyes would certainly be able to spot a red fucking handled machete.

"Wanted to speak before…" she went on in her monotone timbre, then let out a tired sigh. "Survival. We deal to survive. We deal to live. You understand."

"Let me stop you right there." Rick squinted and tilted his head. "Cuz if survivin' is all you made a deal with the Saviors for, then I can tell ya right now you got the bad end of **that** deal."

She gave her own squint and tilt. "Saviors have more everything. Guns. People. Place in this world was made for people like us. Them."

"No, this world is what _**we're**_ gonna make it. I told you before, we're fightin' for more than just survivin'. We're fightin' to **live**. Not just survive. Y'all coulda been part of that. Me and my people aren't just fightin' for a place in **this** world. Dead it may be but it's got REAL LIVIN', REAL HUMAN DECENCY still and **that's** what we're fightin' for."

Even while saying this, Rick realized he was talking to a person who'd given up. Turned to the base side of her humanity to survive. He didn't know how she got there, or what she'd lost to make her this way and frankly he really didn't give a shit.

Far as he was concerned you had choices in this world. He could have turned into her, hell he could have been Negan if he didn't make a choice to preserve his humanity. If he didn't have Michonne to love and her wherewithal to knock some damn sense into him when she could see his mind was going so far astray as to never come back. If he didn't have Carl, who was becoming such a strong good man right in front of his eyes. If he didn't have Judith who he wanted to see what kind of woman she would become. She already had a bit of her daddy's determination and temper. He could see Shane in her when she was taking her first steps which led to her first stumble and damn if she didn't piss her own self off enough to get her little butt up and to make the next five steps to Michonne's waiting arms on spunk alone. He had **them** to live and fight for and if this trash bitch didn't have anything or anyone to make that choice he could almost understand.

But then he remembered his beautiful Warrior woman who this world made perfect just for him. She'd lost so much more than he thought he could ever endure. He thought of her long-departed son every time he watched her kiss one of Judith's "booboos". He wondered if her no doubt beautiful boy had her gorgeous shaped eyes or would have had her dry sense of humor when he watched her and Carl go back and forth with their own private banter. She'd even lost the only other friend she had in Andrea. Cruelly having to watch Andrea take her own life to prevent her become like these walking corpses. His darlin' coulda been a mere husk of a woman like this rank excuse of a human but she made the choice to fight, to live, to _**love**_ his kids, his family. To love **him.** So, nah… nothing Jadis would say would make him _deal_ to survive. He could see, Jadis had made her choice and as far as he could further see.. she was dead already. She just needed a certain katana through her brain stem to make it a permanent situation.

"Your people. Your place in the world. Your **woman** ," she sneered again, showing glimpses of a personality that showed she was putting on the dry act, "You want them to survive no? You misunderstand. You… you deal to survive. Now."

With that she squatted down into a crouch in front of him and brought her gloved hand down his sweaty chest. Rick's eyes widened as his skin bristled at the contact of her gloved hand on his bare skin. She leaned forward, which proved to be her undoing as Rick right hand struck out and grabbed her by throat and started to squeeze. _Just a few minutes and this bitch could be dead,_ he thought as he felt his hand instinctively tightening.

Not personal…" She gasped as she clawed at his hand and tried to get air into her lungs, a bit of fear finally rising into her dense black eyes. "We... We take, we don…"

Michonne's beautiful face popped into his head and she didn't look none too happy that he was about to take her only chance at giving this woman what she really deserved. With the thought of his woman possibly knocking him out again he flung Jadis clear across the dirty floor and she hit the opposite wall with a direct impact.

Rick tilted his head again and gave her his most piercing stare with his ice blue eyes, "Yeah, yeah. You take, you don't bother. Well… I'm fuckin' bothered."

 **A/N Hey guys! As always I'm in awe of y'alls support and so glad you're taking this ride with me. I didn't get to see whatever Talking With The Dead special every one was abuzz about last night ... living overseas kinda sucks that way but I'm kind of glad because I don't want the sneak peeks to color whatever action I'm currently writing so I hope it lives up to it for you.**

 **Now to the reviews: comewithnattah dammit your reviews give me life. They are so crazy and I do see you writing as you drive so please be careful.**

 **riyaboo12, tigerwalk, courtgirl26, camilleLasin, firefly-class & idontsleep22 lord you guys and your death wishes... just call me the death wish fairy because I'm really going to try and bring it not only Shady Jady but to them all and I hope you like. **

**sophiasown & chezza3009 really happy that you're liking the interactions between the group and I hope I'm staying true to who their characters are. **

**as always HOLLERRRRR kendrawriter33... you know why**

 **love y'all**


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

"What about these?" Rosita nudging the crate of M67 hand grenades at the bottom of the shelf in the formerly abandoned warehouse Daryl had discovered on one of his "seek and destroy" missions. STASH 6 was one of 13 that the three communities had amassed during their ongoing campaign against The Saviors. Rick, Michonne and the other leaders quickly surmised that since the Saviors had multiple outposts it would behoove them to get with the program and get some multiple locations of their own. But instead of stocking them with people they stocked them with whatever spare ammunition and supplies they could find. Jesus and a team of Hilltoppers hit the proverbial jackpot after their third attack on a Savior outpost just a few miles north of the Hilltop. It was a veritable treasure trove of army grade weaponry that made even Jesus thank his own self after the bunker discovery. Assault rifles, night vision goggles… grenades oh my. With 16 dead Saviors, it was Christmas in July and that outpost was the damn holy town of Bethlehem as far was he was concerned at the time.

"Depends," Michonne said as she strapped the Norinco Sniper rifle to her shoulder, "How many crates are there?"

Michonne had already loaded the warheads and the Airtronic RPG they went with it into the back seat of the Cadillac and she had gone back to grab the sniper rifle so they could be paired together just like Abe and Sasha would have wanted. _It won't all have been for nothing_ Michonne thought as she checked the sight on the rifle before going to assess what more her and Rosita would be able to fit into the car before they made their way to The Kingdom.

Rosita looked along the shelf and made sure before she answered, "Three in total."

"Okay let's take this one crate then. Never know when we'll need the rest." Michonne reasoned as she thought they shouldn't use all of their stock on this mission. Once this threat was taken care of who knew what or when the next threat would come. That's how this world worked now and even though she had hope running through her veins she also had reality coursing every bit of her mind. Hope for the best and expect the worst were words that had gotten her through the good, the bad and the mind numbing tragedies of this world.

As she began to help Rosita pick up the crate she heard an almost imperceptible sound and apparently Rosita heard it too because both pairs of their eyes met instantly and in silent agreement slowly lowered the crate quietly.

"Dammit Gregory, can you not even follow one fucking direction correctly" hissed Simon to the harried form of the rat faced Gregory. "Not one sound! I said. Hmph you'd think you were _**trying**_ to get us caught by those fuckin' bitches…" Simon then raised his gun to Gregory forehead. " _ **Are**_ you tryin' to get us caught by those two bi…" Simon stopped his threat long enough to feel the cold steel of a katana at his throat while Gregory nearly pissed himself when he felt the barrel of Rosita's gun at the back of his head.

"Laaaaddiiess!" Simon said in his usual smarmy fake charming voice, "Looks like we've got a couple of unresolved problems on our hands."

"MICHELLE! I'm surprised to see you.." Gregory in his usual cowardly attempt to stall.

"Shut up Gregory. Now as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. It looks like we have what I like to call a real life quandary of sorts." Simon spewed on.

Michonne had never had the displeasure of actually conversing with Simon but she remembered from the night in the forest that he was Negan's "right hand". He also seemed to have the same blown up sense of self importance and tendency to long winded soliloquies. He had been No. 2 on her "Motherfuckers To Kill Today" list but had been nudged down with Trash Heap Jadis taking the Numero Uno spot and Negan coming in at a close second. She really didn't care if she was the one who ended Negan or Simon to be honest as she was sure her Killer Cowboy had plans for them himself. Especially for Simon who she managed to convey to Rick, was the one who gave the order to cut a couple of her locs when she was first taken. The fire in Rick's eyes when she told him that particular bit of information could have set the entire house aflame and she knew that Simon was _**definitely**_ on the "Put My Murder Coat On" list for Rick.

As she and Rosita continued their silent communications Simon continued on thinking he had a captive audience. "See the quandary here is," Simon said, gesturing to the weapon laden shelves, "this looks like Savior property aandd it doesn't seem to be ON Savior property. I'm just wondering why that is ladies."

"Doesn't look like Saviors property to me. So I see no reason for your confusion" Rosita remarked, "It actually looks like you're the ones that are trespassing," as she pressed the barrel harder to Gregory balding, sweaty head just enough so he knew just how much of a precarious situation he was in currently.

"Well aren't you feisty? You weren't so feisty when you were on your knees… but that _was_ an emotional night for us all wasn't it… whooaah Let's all just calm down!" Simon yelled as he felt Michonne's blade pressing harder into his jugular. He felt a bead of blood slowly making its way down his neck. "I'm just trying to having a sensible conversation with you ladies…"

Sensing Michonne was in no mood for conversation, "sensible" or otherwise, Gregory looked pleadingly with his watery eyes into Michonne's dark menacing stare. "You can't _**win**_ this! They have Ric.. arrggh" as Gregory went down from the bullet to his stomach. "Whyyyy … Simon.. I was trying …" Gregory went into a series of gurgling coughs, "… to help..."

"Man, some people just don't know how to follow simple instructions." Simon seeming nonplussed from having pulled the trigger while still being held captive by Michonne's katana at his neck. "Welllll… I guess _that_ cat's out of the bag. But it still seems we are at an impasse and you _ladies_ don't seem to be the instruction followin' type either from the looks of this little armory you've got here."

Rosita was staring at Gregory's dying form but her gun hand seemed to know instinctively to slightly move her aim so now Simon was now her target. Just the way he said _ladies_ , like it was a curse on his lips, made her trigger finger itchy but she was waiting on Michonne who hadn't moved or uttered a sound since encountering Simon. This fool didn't seem to realise himself he was dealing with a queen and should have addressed her as such but nope… fuckery caused him to continue his little speech.

"Now, the way I see it, you two will either end up _**with**_ us or _**dying**_ against us. You have _**no**_ leverage. Killing me would be... a mistake," he said with all the false confidence his bullying tenure with the Saviors had allowed him to this point. "One, you wouldn't make it out of here alive, because if you hadn't noticed… We Saviors… we travel smart _**and**_ we travel in packs. Two, you now _**know**_ we can get _**who**_ ever we want, _**when**_ ever we want so you two ladies should just resign yourselves to the life that you were _**supposed**_ to become accustomed to. Heck, Negan's not unreasonable. You may even get the better end of the deal. I know for a fact he doesn't have any Chocolate or Salsa on his wife menu. Soooo… you Bitc…" Simon's head flew back with the force of the bullet the shot through his frontal lobe.

"He had one more time to call you a bitch. He used it… Hi Mom."

 **A/N: Hellooooo to all the new followers & favorites! Thank you so much for indulging me in my imaginings! **

**Onto my dear reviewers: Lord I love y'all. All of your reviews give me life and I hope to keep you all BOTHERED for the duration of this little story. Again, I'm hoping to get it done before the season premieres as I don't want it to color how the rest of story goes so fingers crossed that I'll be heading into the homestretch soon but no promises. And as always holler out to kendrawriter33 who has been the support beam to my imaginings.**

 **comewithnattah I honestly hope I continue to give you the vapors! You are one to talk, because honestly HOW DARE YOU with your Call stories... I. Can't. Even. If y'all are reading this note and haven't read her story Call then stop immediately and go check it out and then come back.**

 **zeejack I loved your chapter reviews and I'm your "killing her softly" Jneck song will be on repeat when I write that chapter. I'm sorry I made you throw up a little in your mouth over the JMess seduction show. I felt dirty writing it and not the good dirty. I really think it needed to be said about Daryl feeling immense guilt also and I feel like it was kinda glossed over in the show.**

 **RBGzmom, riyaboo12, can08,** **DramionEverLarkPeetatoRichonne, enjoi, sophiasown tigerwalk I hope you are BOTHERED in a good way. What would YOU do if you had Rick locked up in his boxers all sweaty? I honestly can't fault Jtrash for tryin it. Stupid woman. :-)**

 **fidora123, mtownrichonner, rumark24, atm0000 WELCOME! So glad you found me and are enjoying the story. I will try to endeavor to keep you and all of y'all interested.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight.**

"OPEN THE GATES!"

Aaron's eyes flew open at the shouted order coming from atop the platform guard tower situated above the gates that lead to The Kingdom community. It was a testament to how tired he was and to Daryl's brooding silence that he managed to doze off on the 3-hour drive there. He quickly glanced behind him to check on Eric who also apparently fell asleep on the ride. Days of being hyper-vigilant had taken its toll on all of them and Aaron was in awe of Daryl's staying power to get them to their destination with no requests to switch places so he could get well-deserved rest. But the pure rage was still fueling Daryl and he was content, happy even, that both his travel companions had fallen into a disquieting slumber. He took the time to review the plans he was making and how he would present them to their allies.

"Ah friends!" bellowed the now familiar voice of King Ezekiel, and he appeared with Shiva, his majestic tiger, sitting on her haunches lapping languidly on one of her paws by his side. He happened to be taking her on her "morning constitution", what normal people would call "takin' his pet cat out for a shit", when he heard the warning whistle from the guard tower that told of the unexpected approach of people. He made his way over, as he didn't know whether it was friend or foe until he heard the call to open the gates. When he saw it he smiled widely at the approach of the Jeep where he could easily see Daryl, Aaron and Eric arriving in the little community's entranceway.

"Welcome our dearest comrades in arms," King Ezekiel boomed much to the chagrin of Daryl who, although he'd begrudgingly learned to trust the bombastic "King" from their frequent planning sessions and battling alongside him, still could not take performance acting and flowery speech. Daryl was part of the Keep It Simple Stupid speech class and the theatrics involved with being a part of this community still left him constantly feeling like a white trash outsider with muddy boots on a white plush carpet. He still couldn't understand how Carol remained here with the bowing and the deference to the "King". That sparkplug of a woman was not the bowing type, not anymore. This life had taken her piece of shit abusive husband and tragically her only daughter. And with the loss of her daughter it had also taken a bit of her humanity for a while, replacing it with a backbone of steel and cunning yet lethal approach to how to live life. Daryl would be hard pressed to reconcile the woman she was back then with the calculating force of nature she now was. After this war was over he hoped that she'd answer any of the many questions he had for her, not the least of which was why she left him … he had to catch himself ... why she left A _lexandria_ in the first place. At any rate, a well-meaning hug wasn't going to cut it next time he had his questionin' time with her.

As the gate shut with a groaning metal whine, Daryl parked and he, Aaron and Eric exited the Jeep. Eric, still wary of the seemingly domesticated tiger in his midst walked cautiously behind and to the left of Aaron.

"Ah my comrades, it is good to have you within the Kingdom's realm once again," King Ezekiel said, "and I have the faintest glimmer of the reason you have come, not so unexpectedly. Shall we adjourn to my hall? I am sure you require refreshment from your long and dusty travels."

"Hey Dudes!" the King's trusted teddy bear of a Kingsguard Jerry's greeting came seemingly out of nowhere. Aaron was startled enough to make a slight jump and still wondered how such a gentle giant of a man moved so stealthily. He shouldn't be surprised, though. He had, on several occasions, witnessed the beast that lay beneath the thick layers of cheerfulness wrapped around the husky, smiling man. He moved with the skill of an artist when he brandished his battle ax. _Who the fuck has a battle axe in this day and age_ , he remembered wondering. His next thought was, _thank god for Battle Axes! Battle Axes for all!_ As he watched Jerry cut through three Saviors and smoothly pivoted to lop another Savior's arm off on that last fateful day Negan decided to show Rick and his community Alexandria who was boss. He never underestimated this _bear_ of a man's speed or agility after that day. In fact, on subsequent skirmishes where they were partnered with members of the Kingdom, Aaron made sure to try to position Eric as close to Jerry as possible, knowing his love would be protected.

Daryl followed Jerry and the King while letting his eyes roam around the community, trying to spy a certain grey-haired pixie cut. Ezekiel noticing Daryl's apprehension, quickly guessing what was drawing his attention. "Keeping a weather eye out for our fair Warrior Maiden are we? No need! She will soon arrive but she is currently _wrangling_ with a few of our men at arms. Brave Morgan accompanies her as well. They should be returning soon. Come! Come! Let us quench your thirst and partake in some well needed nourishment. As we await their arrival, please do share what news you bring."

Daryl, already rankled by the King's usage of "our" in connection with Carol, gave the best squinty side eye he could muster and his usual non-committal grunt. That was all they were gettin' outta him until he saw Carol, he determined as he followed the king, Jerry and Shiva toward the entrance of the High School turned medieval Renaissance revival scene known as The Kingdom.

Eric's head swiveled back and forth as he took in his surroundings, having never set foot into the Kingdom before. He stared at the vegetable allotments that lined the left of the entrance. In the distance, he saw the beginnings of what looked like wheat growing in what used to be the football field of the high school. No stranger to human struggle and tragedy, having met and fallen in love with Aaron amidst the war-torn country that his NPO assigned him back when the world was _normal,_ he was still amazed at the resilience of humanity and what could be accomplished when the world falls apart. Now the work of rebuilding was at hand. He grabbed Aaron's hand as they walked through the lower floor past what may have been the former school's gymnasium and was certain he heard the now familiar groans of the undead. But neither the King, Jerry or Daryl paused their walking, so he chalked it up to residual imaginings from his recurring nightmares - apparently they weren't going to end, not even when he woke up. Aaron, already accustomed to the layout of the community, glanced over to Eric and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "C'mon Hon. Don't want to get left behind. If there's time I'll give you a mini tour later," he said with a grin as they walked to keep up with the rest of the group.

"Ah fairest Aminah, so good to have met you here." King Ezekiel addressed an unassuming woman wearing a hijab walking with a basket of eggs. "We have guests in most dire need of your scrumptious breakfast victuals this morning."

"Yes, your majesty, you'll be wanting the usual then? I was just bringing these fresh eggs to the canteen to make a start now," the pudgy cheeked woman said with a lowered gaze. Daryl tried to not let his eyes roll out of his head at all this tomfoolery just to get a fried egg and hopefully a bowl of grits, if they had it, while he stood there watching the two 'converse', as they said around these parts.

"Your usual is best and would bring even the finest chefs - if this world still had them - to your feet to learn of your skill of the seasoned egg. I look forward to it, as always my dearest Aminah." Aminah looked up then and blessed the King with a lovely smile that seemed to light up her entire face. It also brought a bit of a ruddy blush to her burnished cheeks. She nodded and walked away as the group continued through the doors to the "King's Chamber", aka the High School's assembly hall. It had been repurposed to accommodate anything from large banquets and Community Hall Meetings to small planning meetings. Now, a damn throne and a tiger.

"I don't jest when I say that woman can make the _fluffiest_ egg frittata. Pretty much melts in your mouth," Ezekiel said jovially as he made his way to the stage where his makeshift throne was.

"And don't forget her hash browns sir!" Jerry rolled his eyes, licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in readiness for the breakfast to come.

The king sighed patiently. "Yes Jerry. The hash browns too," he graced Jerry with his usual side eye and smirk. King Ezekiel knew that Jerry had a bit of a crush on Aminah that had nothing to do with potatoes and he hoped against hope that when all was said and done, the end of this war would bring those two together. And he also hoped, with all his tired heart, for his entire community to finally be free of the oppressive presence of the Saviors.

Such thoughts brought him back to the present more solemnly, and he turned back to address Daryl and the purpose of this unannounced visit. "So, whilst they set up our breakfast table, I feel we can speak frankly of your unexpected appearance now. I surmise that it has something to do with one of your fearless leaders being snatched from the arms of his beautiful mate under the cover of darkness recently."

Daryl sighed, "Well that's a whole lotta words to say those fuckers took Rick at night but yeah…I guess that's why I'm here." Tired of the bull shit, Daryl went on, "And I'm just here to see if you and your people are prepared cuz Michonne done went off to go get 'im."

"Well a queen such as that I suspect would be hard pressed not to reclaim her rightful mate . To be perfectly honest I'm not in the least bit surprised. As a matter of fact… whilst our breakfast banquet is being readied let me just show you how The Kingdom has chosen to respond. If you would follow me gentlemen." With that Ezekiel rose and the group followed him "backstage" and through a door that led to the stairwell. After a couple of flights Jerry opened a door and they exited onto an elevated glass enclosed walkway that connected the eastern campus to the west.

"What say you to our _**preparedness**_ now my comrades" King Ezekiel said as he led them across.

"What in god's name!" Eric gasped as he looked down through the glass bottom of the walkway into what looked like the gym he had passed earlier. Their footsteps and the King's booming voice reverberating on the glass had gotten the attention of what looked like about 500 pairs of dead cloudy eyes below. Eyes that moments before had been dormant but now with the introduction of sound moved simultaneously upwards in search of the sources.

"Jeeeeeesusss!" Aaron exhaled at the sheer volume of death in all shapes and sizes he saw below him. He hadn't divulged much to Eric, being privy to the plan already. _He_ was even amazed at the sheer volume of walkers carefully amassed down there. With the bleachers and the school's past championship banners still adorning the walls it looked like a Walker Homecoming Pep Rally was about to be in full swing.

"You called," came the quizzical voice of Paul "My Friends Call Me Jesus" Rovia from the opposite side of the walkway. Appearing out of thin air as he usually did, after being told where the King and his guests were upon arrival.

 _And here comes this beanie wearin' wannabe Bruce fuckin'Lee_ , Daryl managed to think briefly before he noticed that he wasn't alone.

"Ah today is a day of many surprise arrivals and my Wrangling Warrior Maiden returns with much aplomb!" As Ezekiel saw the now familiar silver fox's diminutive shape approaching with Morgan bringing up the rear.

Carol rolled her eyes and shook her head derisively, "How many times do I have to tell you there's nothing _maiden_ about me and hasn't been .. in years," she said before she noticed Daryl standing to the side. She hurried over to him and gave him as huge a hug as her slim but strong arms could across his broad shoulders as he crouched to return the embrace.

"Well, y'all been busy," he spoke in a low tone as they hugged.

"We've been busy since this foolhardy plan was concocted Sunshine," she returned with her usual sardonic grin. She then held his face in both her little hands and stared deep into his eyes having a silent communication only two true friends who knew each other through and through could do. "And it looks like it's a good thing we did. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't time to end this bullshit war and get on with our lives. Let me guess, Michonne's gone and kick started this thing finally."

Daryl knew the moment he made his decision to go to the Kingdom that Carol would be ready and chomping at the bit to see an end to all the people who hurt them so deeply. He didn't know just _how_ ready she'd be. From the looks of the hell town below all he had needed to do was show up and she'd come out guns ablazing with a herd of killing machines at her back. He nodded to her and she let him go and turned back to the King who was watching their interaction closely.

"Well c'mon then. I smelled Aminah's hash and eggs as we were coming to you. Let's go eat because we can't kill 'em all on empty stomachs," and with that she turned on her heel and went back down the stairwell that they came from. All the men stood silently for a moment looking after her tiny sprightly form practically bouncing away, each with no small amount impressed awe with a smidge of fear. Each then turned and followed where she led.

 **Author's Note: Beinvenidos! Beinvenue!** **Welcome to all my new readers and favorites!**

 ** _Quick poll: should I have one more round of meditatin' before I get down to the business of my ALL OUT WAR? Or should we get to the killin' and what not? Asking for a friend..._**

 **You know the other day I saw something on my Tumblr dash and it pretty much sums up how I feel about all of y'all:**

 **all people who leave positive comments on fanfiction**

 **be it through comments, replies, tags, messages, or any other way. I want you all to know that those words you write are so valuable. the feeling of reading a nice response to a piece of your own writing will never stop being the most wonderful, uplifting thing. never stop doing that. you people, you are true sunshines and I love every single one of you**

 **Yeah that pretty much says it all! So Thank you!**

 **Now to your reviews:**

 **comewithnattah if I never get another review from you again - well first I would crawl into a whole and cry.. but that last one just had me in my feelings! Your "new boo!"?! I die. You got me seriously thinking about decking out Judith in camo and giving her a Rambo storyline by her damn self.**

 **flacagonzales thank you! you and about every other of my readers are really fiendin for Jadis to die and I promise she's gonna get hers!**

 **carlyshae Welcome and Thank you!**

 **mtownrichonner JujusPetals courtgirl26 riyaboo12 MannaRN y'all didn't think Carl Poppa was just gonna sit on the sidelines whilst Mom and Dad have all the fun? La Jiggy Jar Jar Doo don't play that (look up Carl Poppa if you don't know what I'm talkin about.**

 **Firefly-class jerkchickenz MsJRichonne DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne I don't know why those fools Simon and Gregory thought they could try Rosita & Michonne... NOT TODAY SATAN! **

**rumark24 thank you! I think everyone has a limit and my Michonne has just about reached hers but she's still Michonne so it's a cold hot head I'm trying for her.**

 **can08writer you're way too observant... I'll just say that. :-)**

 **atm0000 just to let you know I read your review in Sam L Jackson voice too and yes the hell they deserved what happened to them.**

 **tigerwalk & zeejack I wish I could do that "WoW" gif where the girl is looking at her screen and one tear comes down because that's how I felt when I read your reviews. High praise from y'all. and zeejack "heffa bitch trifling thin blood"! I DIE! and you're right. Carl got Rick & Michonne all through his veins. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine.**

Getting down to business, Carl holstered his Beretta and pulled his hunting bowie knife from his hip holster.

 _That's my boy,_ thought Michonne proudly as she watched Carl crouch down to give Gregory his final death.

"Ungghh… not …dead… yet," coughed Gregory as Carl went to turn him on his stomach, seconds away from severing the sorry excuse for a leader's – and man quite frankly – brain stem.

"MIERDA!"

"HOLY SHIT."

Rosita and Carl both yelled, immediately jumping back, guns pulled and aimed, startled to hear the death groans (more like weak gurgles) coming from the formerly motionless Gregory. Michonne's eyes merely widened a fraction as she pointed the business end of her sword down towards Gregory's face, millimeters from his nose.

"You said you were trying to help," Michonne said in her quiet voice." So … help."

"Can't you see I'm dying here!" Gregory pleaded before a coughing fit attacked him and he started to dribble blood out of the side of his mouth. Color her unimpressed but it was the second time Michonne had seen Gregory with a gut wound and she had even less time for the man now that he'd proven to be a snake in the grass. She continued to hold her sword, her focus unwavering. Gregory stared himself cross eyed at the point of the blade."They… they have Ri.."

"Yes… we know." Michonne quickly cut him off. "Anything _else_? Anything that's actually _useful_? You should know now that you're not going to make it another seven minutes, much less out of this place. You already sold your soul to the devil, _Greg_. You can still make it right. Last chance."

"I know… I … tried," Gregory was trying to reconcile himself with the fact that he _was_ indeed dying and going through all of the decisions he'd made that brought him to his gruesome end. "I only… wanted us to survive..." he continued gasping, his eyes wide with fear and regret.

"You wanted **you** to survive _pendejo,"_ Rosita felt listening to this man's death throes was a waste of air and precious time they did not have. She looked to Carl, waiting for him to finish it with his knife but he was minding his mother. Watching her with his one piercing blue eye, knowing Michonne always had a reason for what she was doing. Once she gave him the signal he would know what to do, but he would not move one second before her go ahead. Meanwhile, Michonne merely gazed at Gregory's prone form and waited. She knew the instant Gregory came to the same conclusion she did.

"Ok…ok… I see now… I do." Gregory sighed, showing much more resolve in dying than he'd ever shown in his life of privilege and comfort - even to his last days of leadership. He began to speed talk to get it all out knowing he had mere moments before he had to answer for his actions to an even higher power than the one currently staring soulfully at him. "There… are six outside waiting … to take _you_ Michonne. Negan knows you're important to .. Rick.. and he wants you… wants you to … witness… his.." Gregory was really struggling to speak now and his eyes began to roll back into his head.

"Witness _**what**_? Don't you do it. Don't you dare die." Michonne demanded earnestly.

Gregory tried to refocus his eyes as he tried to concentrate and say what needed to be said. "He. Wants. You. To. Witness…" and his voice faded to a whisper. "Witness Rick's betrayal."

With his last words, he hoped his warning had redeemed him somewhat in the eyes of whatever maker was waiting from him on the other side.

 **Author's Note: First off all I've got over 100 reviews?! Wow I am just amazed at all of your funny, insightful and just plain awesome comments. So how do I thank you? With a chapter with about 2 paragraphs. Please don't kill me and try to bury me like Jadis in the next round. I love y'all.**

 **So it was an overwhelming cry for WAR by y'all so that's what I'm gonna do but I can't promise a bit more meditatin because... I like writing Rick's meditations. That being said onto you my wonderful beautiful readers:**

 **tigerwalk man listen that review was just .. dammit heart eyes for you. Especially coming from your talented self. Thanking you for real for real.**

 **firefly-class yeahhhh King Ezekiel is so damn extra and I love how Khary plays him so much. Trying to find a way to match his character's speech patterns was daunting so I hope it rang true. The hitherto's and warrior maidenry was killing me. and obviously killing my Daryl too zeejack who is really not here for any the Kang's tomfoolery.**

 **Can08writer I see you and I know you're ready for some action. I'm gonna kill She of the Squinty eye but the way my writing account is set up...**

 **mtownrichonner, DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne, atm0000 , Fidora123, courtgirl26 you wanted some killin... well I hope this bit appeases you somewhat until my next chapter.**

 **Rumark24 MannaRN I see y'all are on the fence for some meditatin' as was I so I'm pretty much promising you some more but I just gotta get this war started because I don't want to build it up anymore.**

 **Chezza3009 YOUR FAVORITE SMUT SCENE IN AWHILE?! I bow down and am not worthy! Thank you!**

 **Richonnelandfill Thank you so much for the love!**

 **Now as for you comewithnattah I can't even with you. Here is your new boo sliding through again. You know the deal. You're the best sistawife btw. I just wish I was updating this at some odd o'clock in the morning for a bit of Vengeance of my own.**

 **as always my awesome beta kendrawriter33 you get all the chips and awards! Thank you for your awesome support. x**


	10. Chapter 10

Ten.

"Let him turn," Michonne said, halting Carl as he crouched down with his bowie knife, "We're gonna need him."

Carl and Rosita, understanding instantly, hurriedly began to look for rope while Michonne tore a piece from Simon's shirt. She was in the middle of gagging Gregory's mouth when Rosita came back with a long length of rope she found on one of the shelves.

"It's okay, mom, there should only be four saviors left outside now," Carl said as he held down Gregory's prone form and Rosita tied his dead hands behind his back. "I got two that were sneaking around back on my way in."

Michonne beamed with pride when she looked at her boy. Carl calling her mom was a recent development, happening the first time when she was recovering from her knock down drag out fight with that traitorous trash woman who thought she could try Michonne.

 _"I know you're going to wake up soon and when you do… we're going to kill them all Mom"_ she remembered hearing him whisper to her as she floated in and out of consciousness. _"I hope you don't mind… I … hope Andre doesn't mind… sharing you." As she felt the tears falling from Carl's beautiful eye, she opened her eyes fully and squeezed his hand._

 _"I don't." Michonne whispered back in a hoarse voice, "And … he doesn't. I don't think your brother minds sharing at all." As she tried to smile through the grogginess and dull pain she felt coursing through her body. Carl was momentarily stunned as he thought for sure Michonne would only wake at the sound of his father's voice. Rick lay nearby on the cot he had brought in so he could be near his woman. He'd been fighting the urge to run up to her bed and move Carl out of the way. He smiled instead, remaining motionless, knowing if it had to be anyone else, it would be his boy - their boy - to drive Michonne to consciousness. He wanted to respect this moment,without any interruptions from him. He'd have his time with her soon enough._

"They're not coming back though," grimaced Carl in the present "I got both of them with my knife but the last one struggled a bit. Knocked me into a shelf and made some noise. Sorry Gregory", he nudged Gregory's head with his boot. "Maybe Simon wouldn't have shot ya if I didn't make so much noise killing your other friends." Carl smirked. He didn't look the least bit sorry.

"So there's four outside waiting for these two bastards to drag Michonne out?" Rosita asked, trying to assess the situation. She turned to Michonne, who looked deep in thought.

"Ok... They don't know Carl is here yet…but they definitely know I'm not alone. So here's what we're going to do." Michonne declared. As she laid out the simple plan, Gregory's body began to stir and twitch against its tightly tied bonds. Its eyelids flew open suddenly to reveal the cloudy unfocused irises of every walker roaming this dilapidated planet. It began snarling against the gag with its nose pointed up, sniffing for its prey. Michonne, Carl and Rosita wasted no more time, each now headed for their positions. Picking Walker Greg up, both Michonne and Rosita kept ducking the stupid monster's attempt to bite each of them in turn. Rosita gave it a full hand slap, "Stop it stupido! You have a gag! No biting! If you're good I'll personally put you out of your misery soon!"

Michonne drew her sword and began to pull the walker towards the front entrance of the warehouse with Rosita following behind. As they approached they could make out the sound of voices on the other side.

"… Well when we was leavin' he was still speechifyin', talkin' bout how 'We are the Saviors' and 'Hot diggity doggin' the weak ass townie sheriff boy' so I'm still wonderin' what we're doing out here," the greasy haired Savior known as Jared questioned as he stood by the door.

"We're here because we _are_ the Saviors, asshole. And Saviors do what we're told. Negan wants that _Sheriff Boy_ to learn a serious lesson in humility. So why don't you shut the fuck up and for _once_ do what you're told?" growled Gavin, clicking the clip full of bullets back into his gun. He was getting real tired of listening to Jared. He'd been especially wary of the lanky bastard after he up and shot that poor kid from the Kingdom. Gavin had been feeling tensions rise with every visit to the Kingdom for their "tribute" exchange – although he couldn't really call it an exchange because really, what _were_ the people of the Kingdom getting in _exchange_ for all their good produce?

A fucking _watermelon_! Was a fucking watermelon worth a young boy's life in a time when life was a commodity? Since that day, deep in his gut he knew that he was on the wrong side of history in this chapter of the World's Gone To Shit Chronicles and that retribution was now at hand in the form of this war they now found themselves embroiled in. All he wanted to do was keep the peace and keep on fucking surviving but this bastard with all the hubris of the school bully's sidekick went and shot an unarmed kid over a fucking watermelon.

Not too long after that, outposts started to go down one by one and no amount of _speechifyin'_ was going to make Gavin blind to the fact that their _fearless_ leader was beginning to show some cracks in his veneer of bravado. Why else would they be on this fool's errand? It stank of "last ditchiness" and Gavin also knew deep in his gut that pushing the sheriff boy over the edge. Taking his woman and his kids? That was _not_ going to have the desired effect Negan hoped for. No fuckin' way. Gavin kept that to himself, though, because there was also no fuckin' way he wanted to see the business end of that damned barbed Lucille bat. He'd survived this long and he planned on doing much of the same even if it meant eating shit until the allotted time.

"How long do you think it's gonna take to get that bitch? I mean she only had that latina chick with her." Jared muttered impatiently.

Gavin rolled his eyes and sighed, "You really haven't been paying attention at all have you? If you think these people were so easy, how do you explain why we're running low on supplies and more and more Saviors turning up deader than these fucking corpses walking around here? Do you _really_ think Simon is gonna have it easy?! To get their _**leader's** _woman… the same leader who's been fuckin' us every which way 'til Sunday! The fuck is on your mind?!"

Jared stared at him open mouthed and wide eyed for a minute before all hell broke loose as Michonne kicked open the door and succinctly severed his head from his body. Rosita ripped the gag off of Walker Gregory and kicked his back forcefully in the direction of Gavin. Taken by utter surprise, the two other Saviors standing by their bikes watching the heated exchange between Gavin and Jared hesitated a moment too , having shimmied through a window at the back, doubled back to his position behind them. Two headshots from Carl later, there was just Gavin struggling to with the slathering teeth of Gregory.

"Help me!" screamed Gavin as he struggled against the biting walker form of Gregory. "Jesus Christ help me! I'm with you! I'm with Dwight!" Gavin continued to grapple with the gnashing teeth going for his jugular, not realizing that Walker Greg was partially immobilized with it's hands tied behind it's back as it struggled to get to a piece of Gavin-meat.

Michonne swiftly turned to look at Gavin and gave a nod to Rosita, who pulled Gregory's rope like she was telling a dog to heel. The walking dead corpse of Gregory was pulled back so abruptly it fell on its back, comically reminding Carl of a turtle from memories of the old days of summers by the lake with his parents. This particular snapping "turtle" could choke as far as Carl was concerned.

He stalked towards Michonne and Rosita silently, putting his memories away and holstering his gun.

"Speak," demanded Michonne as Gavin tried to stand unsteadily while checking himself for any scratches or bites from his fight with the walker. "And make it fast. As you can see, we're not in the business of having long conversations today." Gesturing to the head of Jared that still had the look of open-mouthed look of surprise in place;his death mask.

"I'm guessin' Simon's finally dead," murmured Gavin as he rubbed at his neck, but a second later he saw the barrels of two guns pointed at him. "Whoa.. Like I said, I'm with you!" Patience was not on his side at the moment, then. They weren't bluffing. Noted. Carl and Rosita seemed resolved that he was already taking too long in his explanation. "Dwight's not the only one who's ready to fight with you! Don't you think we _know_ Negan's way is gonna get us killed. Do you think we **all** want to live the way we been living?"

Michonne's gave an exasperated sigh and widened her stance, also beginning to tire of this man's ramblings. _Did Negan give classes on ways to draw out a fucking sentence? Was it after his How To Lean In 90 Degree Angles 101 class_ she wondered bemusedly. If this man didn't get to his point in the next 5 seconds…

Gavin held his hands up and continued to speed talk, "Dwight's been recruiting. Some of us have been helping you from the inside. I'm one of them. We know something big is coming to end this and I want me and mines to survive! Preferably on the right side. The side that's not about a fuckin' point system. The side that doesn't have to terrorise other people. The side…" Gavin began to choke up, all the stress and hardship that this new world had brought him almost overwhelming him, "the side that wants to live. I swear to you. I'm on your side!" he pleaded.

Michonne contemplated the man nearly breaking down briefly and then turned to Rosita with a nod. Rosita merely nodded back to her and pulled the trigger.

"Bye Gregory," she muttered, and Walker Gregory ceased all movement.

"Ok, we need to get going. Now that we have another vehicle," said Michonne, gesturing to the Savior's pick up truck and two motorcycles, "We can load some more supplies and double time it to the Kingdom. What's your name Mr. I'm On Your Side?"

"Gavin, ma'am?" Gavin said excitedly, visibly relieved that today would not be the day he was going to die, "Tell me where you want me."

"Where I want you is in front of my son while you follow us back in to get some more ammo. Carl, I see you eyeing that bike and you already know... it's a no. When we get going I want you in the car with Gavin. Let him drive and keep your gun on him. If he blinks wrong…" Michonne didn't need to say the rest for the clearly disappointed Carl to get the jist. His hopes of impressing Enid by cruising into Hilltop on the seat of one of the Harley Davidson choppers he was staring at were immediately dashed by Michonne.

"Fine, mom," Carl grumbled displaying an unusual bit of teenaged angst before he spied something familiar on one of the dead Saviors he had shot. "Hold up for a second," he called to them as he bent down and smiled. Yep, there was Enid's knife holster and knife that was taken from her on the hip of the dead guy. The "JSS" carved on the handle made his heart skip a beat before he removed it. He gave the corpse a quick kick, and bounced up in a much better mood with a much better surprise for Enid in his hands.

Michonne gave her first grin of the day and shook her head. _Like father, like son_ she thought quickly surmising why Carl was got so giddy over a knife and who it would be for.

"Ok, let's get this done fast and move out," she declared as they walked back into the warehouse ready to get back on her killin' schedule.

 **Author's Note: See! I'm not that triflin'! Double update y'all to make up for that tiny chapter 9.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven**

"We are almost done loading your majesty," the young man said upon entering the "throne room" where King Ezekiel, Carol, Daryl and the rest of the group were finishing up their breakfast.

"Splendid! Thank you, young Jeremiah! We shall be adjourning shortly and will meet you at the entrance in a few short minutes," boomed the King, his smile broadening as he turned to Carol seated to his right. "Come comrades! The time is nigh for us to embark on our warrior's journey to seek the conclusion of our noble crusade!"

Carol sighed and gave a sidelong look to Daryl who was seated to _**her**_ right. He had been his usual quiet and brooding self throughout the meal of Aminah's delicious egg and hash, giving only his typical grunt in response to King Ezekiel's questions and commentary. If Carol didn't know better, she'd have thought he was being his usual Grumpy McBiker self. However, she was getting the distinct impression that something other than this war was on his mind. She could see he was getting more disgruntled by the second, continuously shifting around in his seat as the meal progressed.

"Got something on your mind there Sunshine," she questioned quietly, "Or are you gonna just sit there and mumble cuss words under your breath? Thought you'd be at least a little pleased at the bowl of grits you got?" she said trying to lighten his darkening mood.

"Nah…" he mumbled as he spooned the last of said grits into his mouth and thought of the conversations going on around him during breakfast. If he could explain how he was feeling, or all the tumultuous thoughts going through his mind, it would all boil down to one desire. For this damn war to be over and him to be sitting comfy on his back porch, skinning some animal he had hunted. If he knew how to verbalize, maybe Beth'd be here with them, singing some sad country song with a little smile and some much needed optimism. Maybe Glenn would see his own child be born. Instead, he's here shoveling grits into his mouth to keep from screaming out from his gut at the insanity of it all.

Carol took a long look at Daryl as everyone else began getting up from the banquet table to make their way toward the entrance of the assembly hall/throne room. King Ezekiel paused in his departure to take a look back, where he noticed Carol staring at Daryl. In that look, he saw their story as if it were laid out on the table before them. There was deep history there. A history of fighting together and of loss together. Deep respect, too. Even (dare he think it) there was love there that no amount of fresh pomegranates would overcome. He didn't know what kind of love he was looking at but he would for damn sure find out if they all survived what was coming.

"C'mon Pookie," Carol whispered as Daryl grimaced at the silly nickname, "What's got your panties in a wad? I know it's not all the killing that we're gonna have to do and you don't look worried about the plan working… so…" she goaded persistently.

"Man… listen… I just… I just don't understand." Daryl tried to gather his thoughts so he could be understood clearly, "I look at you. Here… and I feel like I'm not seein' _**you**_ at all. Almost like, you ain't wearin' the ugly cat lady sweaters and bakin' but you're … you're still not you," he finally blurted out. He stared at Carol, in her standard Kingdom issue armor for a moment before looking back down at his empty bowl. "Nah… you know what, I ain't got nothin' else to say until this thing is over. But lemme tell you one thang, you and me… if we survive this? You and me gonna have some words and some answers better be forthcomin'. You hearin' me?"

Carol looked at Daryl, surprised at the rare outburst coming from her normally reticent friend. A momentary flash of anger in her grey eyes were the only indication that she had indeed heard all he was saying and all he wasn't. She inwardly rolled her eyes at the demanding tone coming from Daryl. These men in her life seemed to think that she owed them something but she'd be damned if she knew exactly what she was supposed to use to repay her supposed debt. Hadn't she paid with her shed tears, her daughter, her _soul_ for god sake? She had answers alright, for Daryl, for Ezekiel, hell even for Morgan but she was sure that neither of them would like the answers she put forth. She was certainly tired of feeling beholden to anyone or anything. Not for a crate of pomegranates, twenty ovens full of peach cobbler and not for all the Cherokee Roses in the world. Once this was all over she knew that there would be reckoning of sorts and she hoped in her heart of hearts that the fallout would have the least amount of casualties, her own heart not being amongst them.

"I'm hearing you Daryl," she responded after a long sigh, "So let's go get this war over with so I can finish listening." He nodded begrudgingly and they both got up from the banquet table. The morning daylight hit them as they exited the building. They both looked up towards the guard tower when a high-pitched series of whistles echoed through the air. At that, they each picked up the pace to catch up to King Ezekiel, Jesus, Aaron and Eric who were waiting with three trucks parked before the gates.

"Who approaches?" enquired King Ezekiel although they all had a pretty good idea who was driving towards The Kingdom's gates.

As they waited, a beat up Cadillac and a truck drove smoothly up to the gates and flashed their lights; the signal of friendlies.

"Open the gates!" yelled the young sentry from the guard tower, having recognized the passengers he could see in the Cadillac instantly.

 _Looks like this party's about to start now that the Hostess has arrived_ , thought Carol as she watched Rosita pull in through the gates, immediately making eye contact with Michonne in the passenger seat. She quickly looked to the windshield of the truck to see Carl in the passenger seat with his gun pointed directly at the driver, who she didn't recognize. Unfortunately, Morgan _did_ recognize the driver and made a mad dash to the truck as it pulled to halt. Gavin barely had time to put the truck into park before he was summarily pulled from the truck as the door opened abruptly. He'd barely hit the ground before Morgan's delivered a blow with his staff to Gavin's jaw almost surely loosening all the teeth on the left side of his mouth. Before he could deliver a death blow however, Jesus was upon him attempting to subdue Morgan while Carl ran from the other side of the truck to see why Gavin had practically disappeared right in front of his good eye.

"Morgan!" King Ezekiel screamed as Shiva roared her discontent. Jerry approached Morgan from the other side to assist Jesus but the madness in Morgan's eyes gave him a moment's pause.

"Leave me be!" Morgan screamed, struggling with Jesus who had managed to maneuver him into strong headlock with his shoulder made immobile by the hold. "He doesn't deserve to live! His life is _**not**_ precious! He's the goddamn Savior who killed Ben! Leave me be!"

"I tried to save that boy! I swear it! I didn't know that fuck was going to shoot him!" Gavin sputtered as he spit out a tooth and copious amount of blood. "I never wanted that boy to die!"

A small crowd of Kingdom residents had gathered around the scene, having heard the commotion and thought that the battle had finally come to them. Jesus continued to hold onto Morgan, murmuring quietly to him, trying to get him to calm down. Carol, observing that Jesus wasn't getting through to him, slowly walked over to Morgan and crouched down so she could look in his eyes.

"Morgan! Look at me," Carol said calmly, "I'm not saying don't kill him.. but look who he came with… please let's do this right." Morgan turned his stare up at Carol upon hearing her voice but still continued to struggle with Jesus to get to the cowering Gavin. "Stop this Morgan. We're going to make them pay. For Ben. For everything. I promise you," she continued in a steady voice never taking her eyes from Morgan's, "One way or the other, he too will pay." Morgan stilled in Jesus' hold while staring into her grey eyes. The red rage of madness did not leave his eyes but he did relent to Carol's will, appearing calm enough for Jesus to feel ok in letting him go.

Pointing his staff to Gavin he declared, "This is not over. I don't die. Not before I see you gone." Gavin fell back stunned as if the pure hate in the gaze turned on him physically pushed him. As he looked around everyone held the same hate filled look in their eyes all pointed towards him. He had the wherewithal to look properly cowed by the weight of all the hate. He stood there and just let it wash over him, hoping that this would serve as some sort of penitence for his part in being on the wrong side of a mad tyrant.

Michonne looked positively bored with Morgan's manic episode, not caring whether Morgan killed Gavin or not. Her focus turned to Jesus because his appearance was the only thing that had given her a momentary pause. He was supposed to be at Hilltop with Maggie and with…

"Is my daughter safe?" She asked the long-haired Apocalypse Jesus, "Why are you here?"

Carl instantly looked to Jesus at Michonne's questioning, readying himself for a sprint to the nearest vehicle if he said anything happened to his sister or Enid.

"Not to worry. Judith _and_ Enid are perfectly safe," somehow displaying his namesakes all knowingness to answer the most important questions (asked and unasked) immediately, "I was just explaining to the King and present company included that Negan's desperation is starting to show. He sent a team to try and take Judith but… he seemed to have made some major miscalculations."

"How so?" Michonne asked evenly, her tone not betraying the anger bubbling just below the surface. As long as Judith was safe it really didn't matter and it just pushed Negan into a tie with Jadis on her kill list.

"Wait, but if he sent a team to get Judith, that means he probably sent a team to Alexandria for me! Mom we gotta go back!" Carl began to turn again to the truck they drove in.

"Hey, hey… calm down Carl. Like I said. His desperation is starting to show. He miscalculated," Jesus replied with a quirky smile, "He sent Dwight."

Realization dawned on the group and even Michonne let herself have a moment brief relief.

"Ca…can I say something without getting shot…or knocked in the head again?" Gavin spoke up with his hands in the air. "I was part of the team sent to get Michonne and the boy." Carl went to knock him out on general principle for calling him "the boy" but his mom's stern look at him said that he was already skating on thin ice; he still hadn't explained how he was at STASH 6 to begin with. He knew he'd have to fess up to that soon so he just stood back hoping she'd forget that little detail. _What's she gonna do? Ground me… in the middle of an apocalypse?_ Carl thought to himself but instantly checked himself from those thoughts, because if anyone could find a way to ground him it would be Michonne. And he wasn't going to like it. When she did get to thinking of a way to get him he would probably be praying for a grounding.

"Ok, well your _team_ has been taken care of so now ..." Michonne turned to Carol, "Looks like you were expecting me?" She gestured to the trucks emitting various moans that could now be heard through the quiet.

"Yeah… well, I knew it wouldn't be long after Rick was taken that something was going to set this party on fire," Carol smirked.

"Good. We brought the pretzels and the firepower," Michonne gave a rare, dark smirk, turning to Rosita. "So, let's go start some fires."

All three women started towards their vehicles to head out for war. The men could do nothing but scramble to get in where they fit in.

 **Author's Note: Oh my god y'all! The premiere is fast approaching and I'm typing furiously to get to what y'all really want - the death of Jadey McShadey. I hope I make it but know that I am trying. Let me just say that your reviews are my EVERYTHING! All of them insightful, and most of them are downright hilarious and ALL of them make inspire me to continue on this journey that kendrawriter33 got me started on. That being said:**

 **can08writer, so glad you went back to read the other chapter and don't think I done went crazy!**

 **jerkchickenz & rumark24 very insightful on what I think you think the betrayal may be. And you never know with these no good Saviors. Also, Gavin's character did interest me when he came on the scene. He looked just as shifty as the rest of them but was the only one who looked a bit remorseful for his actions. He may still be a piece of shit but... who knows.**

 **richonnelandfill I can't even believe you're reading my little story so thank you thank you thank you for taking the time out to even review!**

 **MyThea-Belle WELCOME! Yes to all of your review! and why do I think I'm asking for a battle axe for Christmas? Fangirl away because I certainly am doing the same from your review!**

 **riyaboo12 mtownrichonner flacagonzales DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne atm0000 zeejack YES I am ready for these people to bring on the Killin too! Michonne is coming and she's bringing hell with her! I'm also glad that I'm making Rosita likable for some of y'all. I was getting downright pissed at her attitude last season but I put myself in her position and I'm thinking I'd be mad salty too when all of her lay options have been cruelly taken from her.**

 **courtgirl26 & sophiasown chezza3009 y'all's multiple reviews were so awesome. Loving that you love the Carchonne moments and post eye Carl. There were not enough in the last season so I thought I'd give myself that gift because it's like the show writers were like "right... that relationship has developed enough lets not write any more scenes with them ... ever again." NOPE NOT TODAY SATAN CARCHONNE TIL THE COWS COME HOME IN A MATTISMOMMY STORY**

 **fidora123 tigerwalk I'm here to give you more! I'm typing furiously to get updates I promise!**

 **Now... Sisterwife comewithnattah here is "Venny" coming with flowers, chocolates and an extra long update that will hopefully keep you happy! Cuz that's Venny's purpose for real for reals. Your reviews are LIFE and I don't care who hears me yell it from the mountain tops. I ain't playin' with you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Twelve**

"So you're telling me that son of a bitch thought that shit would work?" Rosita whispered quietly as she bent to her task. "Turning Rick and Michonne against each other? Trying to make Michonne his wife? The fuck was on his mind?!" she said as she finished tying off the last lead from the bunch of dynamite she and Carol were burying strategically around the perimeter.

"Negan, from what I've heard, is all about surrender by humiliation," Carol responded, "He doesn't just want you to serve, he wants you to _kneel_ and serve. He's smart and devious but worse, it looks like he's petty too."

" _Chinga tu madre_ , you'd think he'd know by now Rick ain't the kneeling kind," Rosita muttered, "I mean… after that first time when him kneeling didn't work out." Carol nodded in recognition and inwardly cringed at Rosita's reference to what her family had gone through while she was going through her self-imposed exile. Guilt still tore her up, wondering it this war could have been prevented if she hadn't made a run trying to save what remained of her soul. If she had been in that forest clearing kneeling would she have stuck a knife into Negan's throat before he took Glenn and Abraham away from them so savagely? She knew she also had a savage beast sitting dark in her heart but it was that same beast she was trying so hard to escape when she ran like she did.

Now she would forever have another regret: That she wasn't there to help protect the little family the world had left her with when they needed her most. Now she was going to make up for her absence by unleashing her own beast on this bastard and his people.

Standing up from her crouching position, she said in a low, determined voice: "I think we've got this area covered. Now we just wait for the signal from our young fire starter. The King and his team should be done with their end right about now."

####

"Would you have done it?" Carl asked as he watched Michonne strap her katana in place, "If it meant saving Dad? Would you hav.." one look from Michonne silenced him.

"Listen to me and listen good. There is no reason to ask woulda coulda shoulda. You hear me? I have one job and that's making sure you and Judith continue to live. Not just survive - _live_. I look at you and I can't get over how proud I am of the man you're becoming and I want to see Judith become strong and brave just like you." Michonne paused and took a deep breath before she continued, "Me being enslaved by the likes of Negan wouldn't have _**saved**_ anyone, especially not your father. Being under anyone's so-called rule would not have _**saved**_ anyone because we'd all be dead inside. Just as dead as they're all about to be. So no more woulda's ok?" And she looked Carl directly in his eye, to make sure he was receiving the message.

He gave her a determined look in return, straightening his back with the bit of steel his mother just instilled in him and nodded his head.

Those plans Negan had for Rick, Michonne and their children? Well, in his grandiose arrogance, he unwittingly divulged them to Dwight, his supposedly loyal to end soldier. Those plans...they disgusted Michonne almost to the point of nausea. Gavin, in his need to show how very much he wanted to be considered a part of "the resistance", as he called it, gave up all he knew of his former leader's strategies. Including Negan's plan to humiliate Rick to the breaking point by taking his family hostage and making Michonne one of his wives.

Michonne was to receive his special attention. Apparently, his way of convincing her to come to terms with being a new "spouse" would be to give her an extra special "freaky deaky" show starring her man to convince her. Pathetic. Gavin didn't know the specifics of what that show entailed but Michonne could make an educated guess. And if it was what she thought it was, she really wanted to get into that madman's mind before he met his very timely end. She wanted to ask him "WHAT IN THE ENTIRE FUCK?" Try as she might, she could not understand how he thought he could really try her with such petty, theatrical bullshit.

"Good, now, you know what to do. Right?" she said, returning her attention to Carl as she headed back to retrieve something from the Cadillac they had camouflaged with a dark tarp and broken branches from the nearby woods. " _No bullshit_ , Carl. I want you in and out while I get your father. Don't freeze. No hesitation. These people won't be hesitating once it all starts to burn."

"I _know_ Mom," Carl said seriously, somewhat exasperated but still obedient. Then he found himself smirking, picturing it. He looked up at her from under the brim of his hat; the sun filtering through the trees to turn his eyes into blue prisms. Just like his father's."They're really not gonna see this coming, are they?"

"You better believe they're not kiddo," she returned his smirk as she buckled Rick's gun belt and checked the bullets in his Colt Python. She looked up to see Carl grinning at her fully, now. "What?"

She stood still, gazing at him, wondering what had her boy so amused.

"Nothing. I just know Dad's going to be _real_ happy to see that," laughed Carl.

Michonne gave a huff of laughter, too, grabbing Carl into a tight hug. "Do what you have to and get back to us. You understand?" she whispered almost desperately. The risk her boy was taking with his role in the plan was high and she almost couldn't bear sending him on his task. Michonne took a deep, resolved breath. "We're the ones who live. You remember that and this will be over soon."

Carl hugged her back even tighter before letting go and backing away from her as they separated. "See you and Dad in a few."

####

Carl gathered his wits as he went to get Gavin, who was waiting with the Kingdom residents that had come to fight. King Ezekiel, Daryl, Aaron & Eric – still strategically placed between Aaron and Jerry and his glorious battle axe - were quietly conferring next to one of the groaning trucks that came from the kingdom.

"You ready for this," Daryl asked as Carl approached, his concern for his adopted nephew showing in his knowing squint, "it's all gon' go real fast but don't you worry none. I ain't gonna be far from you."

"I'm ready if _he's_ ready," said Carl glaring at Gavin, "and I know it's going to work. I'm more worried about the looks on their faces as we make them watch their world get burnt to shit." Putting a lot more bravado on than he actually felt deep down inside. Daryl knew better though and recognized the act but he wouldn't shame this young man who had gone through so much more than anyone his age should have had to go through.

"Man, I see you waited till Michonne was gone to start poppin' cuss words out your mouth," Daryl added with playful jab to Carl's shoulder, "now I ain't sayin' I'm snitchin' but I got a feelin' she'd whoop your tail hearin' you now". The brief moment of levity was a rare show from Daryl and from the way Carl was smirking he knew it did the job of lightening the load of what was about to happen a bit. Turning to Gavin however, he didn't have anything but malice and threat in his glare or his next words.

"Anything happens to him, Morgan and his stick will be the least of your worries," Daryly snarled at Gavin.

"I won't let you down. I won't let any of you down. The boy is going to be safe with me," Gavin hurriedly tried to reassure the entire group. Carl rolled his eyes and made himself a promise that if this man called him "boy" ONE MORE TIME…

"Alright, young prince," said King Ezekiel in a low voice that Daryl was surprised to hear, "We shall await the signal and we shall come roaring through the gates of hell to slay the oppressors along your side!" his volume rising as his continued. _There it is_ , Daryl thought, _this man just won't stop his jibber jabberin'._

As Gavin and Carl walked back into the forest to get to the path that led to the garbage junkyard that the people who were holding Rick called home Carl turned swiftly catching Gavin off guard.

"My family _will_ kill you if anything goes wrong and you're part of it. You know that don't you."

Gavin let out a long breath and stared hard at Carl instantly taken aback at the maturity he could see in the boy staring back at him. No, this was no _boy_ who was staring daggers at him from the bluest eye he'd ever seen. This young man had signed on for one of the most dangerous parts of this mission and never batted an eye. He was a little late to the party and he still had his own reservations. The one thing he _did_ know was that if the _man_ standing with him right now with all the bravery and courage of a true soldier going to war was able to do this then he couldn't cower any longer in the face of _that_ bravery. He was going to convince this whole group that he was _not_ Negan and no harm would come to Carl if he had anything to do with it.

"I know," and with a determined nod to Carl, "Now let's go do this."

As they approached the open courtyard before the corrugated metal gates of the junkyard Carl brought his hands behind his back as Gavin held a gun to his head and shoved him towards the gate.

He banged the gate in a rhythmic staccato of six beats that Carl was convinced was some sort of friendly code knock.

"What is your purpose Savior," called a disembodied voice from above.

"Negan sent me you fuckin' weirdo. What do you think my purpose here is?" Gavin yelled up to the unseen voice, "Now open the door and let the High Lady come see what's he's sent for her."

There was a large metal screech that accompanied the sliding of the opening gate and Gavin gave Carl another shove as they entered.

The stench of the place hit both Gavin and Carl full on as they entered the empire of trash making them nearly stagger. _I guess you can get used to anything once you've been covered in walker guts,_ Carl thought as he tried reconcile his sensory overload of the place. He looked around and made note that there were about twenty residents milling about gathering and arranging various crates and crude weaponry. _No kids around,_ he also noted not surprised as he couldn't fathom the degree of infections that would make the any infant mortality rate seem nonsensical in this environment.

Gavin grabbed the back of Carl's shirt as two residents approached them, making Carl stumble a step backwards. Carl recognized the woman dressed in gray stitched together shirt, blackish army pants and what looked like a bullet proof vest approaching them. She was Jadis' right hand woman from what he could recall. Her name escaped him but he knew it sounded like some made up elf name that would have had Tolkien crying robbery over. He'd have to remember to ask Enid for his Two Towers back to re-read his favorite book again. If the grounding he knew was coming after all was said done was anything like he'd imagined then there was nothing like a bit of Lord of The Rings to pass the time with.

"Where is little one? She was expected too?" the gray clad woman spoke harshly to Gavin while looking suspiciously at Carl, "Where is leader's woman?"

"Listen Tauriel, I don't know if you haven't realized it yet but Saviors don't ask a whole lot of questions?" Gavin retorted, "I was told to bring the boy here and what Negan's doing with that man's little girl and wife doesn't have shit to do with me. Now, where's your Head Lady? You gonna get her.. or do I have radio Negan in to come do some of his own brand answering of question time to the likes of you?" he sneered as he held up his walkie talkie.

"No matter. She is occupied. She will come when she comes." Tauriel said as she approached them, "Tell leader we are prepared. I will take boy now" Tauriel went to grab Carl's should and his skin crawled instinctually.

"Don't fuckin' touch me!" he hissed, "Where is my father? What are you doing with him?"

"He is… _occupied_." Tauriel replied with a wry smirk as she looked towards the way she came. Something seemed to catch her eye as she turned, _was that smoke she smelled,_ she thought briefly but she had no time to ponder that as Carl continued to speak.

"Well as long as he's _occupied_ somewhere in there" Carl said gesturing to the entrance she and her companion had come from, "then I think I'll keep you a little occupied out here."

Carl brought his hands forward showing the grenade he had been holding during their exchange, pulled the pin and threw it to the wall of garbage furthest away from the entrance that he just looked at. Tauriel had no time to react in surprise before Gavin's gun released a single shot to her forehead. Carl in turn pulled his own Baretta and began to pick off the nearest trash people n his vicinity as he made his own dash to the entranceway. He knew he had a matter of minutes before that grenade went off bringing all manner of hell with it and he needed to get to that doorway before it did. He glanced back to see Gavin not far behind him providing covering shots for Carl. Carl picked up more speed and breathlessly reached the door just as the grenade blew, sending all manner of debris in every direction. The aftershock of it threw Carl threw the door and Gavin to the ground along with any trash resident that hadn't been shot.

It took a moment but Carl stood up unsteadily and shook his head still recovering from the deafening blast. The grenade didn't seem to do much damage but who could really tell old junk from new blown up junk. It certainly brought a great many more residents out of their hidey holes though. Like cockroaches they all seemed to swarm out from various hidden doorways, cave holes and underground trap holes to see what was going on. In the midst of this Carl could see smoke billowing from a further side that had nothing to do with the grenade. Gavin rushed into the doorway after Carl just as he heard Shiva's familiar roar and then a series of smaller explosions started to shake the very ground they were standing on.

 _Guess Rosita and Carol saw the signal_ , Carl thought as Gavin grabbed him and started running down the corridor that seemed to be made of a wall of recycling on both sides.

"C'mon, let's go find your parents! There's going to be more coming and I need to get you to them safe before this whole place goes up in flames!" yelled Gavin. Carl didn't need any more prodding than that, finally trusting Gavin to lead him through the trash labyrinth. He nodded and ran behind Gavin to the soundtrack of Shiva's snarling roars and the rapid fire gunfire behind him.

 **Author's Note: Ok this is where I usually acknowledge my 150+ reviews (ahhhh I love y'all) but I'm now in a dead heat to to get finished with the next chapter before the premiere ...(i love y'all). Thirteen is coming fast and hard where I will blow kisses to you all at the end of that... Also, in case the timings are confusing you all this action is happening simultaneously as will be happening in the next chapter. Looks like finishing this before the premiere is not going to happen but I am determined to give a certain somebody their comeuppance.**

 **Wait... I love y'all.**


	13. Chapter 13

**THIRTEEN**

Michonne glided like a blank panther in the wild using the shadows as her camouflage. She watched from the sidelines as Gavin shoved her boy with a gun to his head as they entered through the gate. She had to physically restrain herself from running up and pushing her sword through Gavin's back reminding herself that it was just an act. She hoped it was an act because if it wasn't, so help her God, she'd make him wish she'd let Walker Gregory get a taste of Gavin-meat.

She bided her time while the people inside focused their attention on Carl and smoothly slipped in as the gate slowly closed. She moved stealthily through the different piles of detritus that made up this garbage world trying to make her way around silently. She pulled up swiftly as two minions rushed past her to get to the forecourt to ogle at Gavin and Carl's appearance. She spied one hurriedly walking to a makeshift doorway hidden in the mountainous wall of refuse and made the decision to follow him.

She remembered from the last time she came to this god forsaken place with its stench and madness, that the people seemed to appear out of nowhere. It occurred to her that there had to be some sort of intricate infrastructure to the place since she didn't see how they had brought Rick "Up Up Up". Then that bitch had thrown Rick into the trash version of the Thunderdome to fight Spike Lee Walker. After having to watch as Rick fought to prove some sort of sick worthiness to the worthless she begun to plan how to bring the place Down Down Down. She put her plan on pause once she saw Rick limping out with that silly sexy grin on his face bleeding profusely from his hand. But it always stayed at the back of her mind and once Jadis continued to show her entire ass the almost forgotten plan came back to her with a vengeance.

She kept her distance from the hurrying form while still keeping him in her line of sight. Thankfully the corridor was dimly lit by bare lightbulbs strung together by tangled wires of many extension cords. It wasn't hard for Michonne to move silently move along the tower walls that seemed to be a mixture of recycled glass, cans and bales of newspaper. Other darkened corridors leading to other parts of the trash city gave the impression of a massive labyrinthine maze. _Well they're resourceful, gotta give them that_ , Michonne thought to herself, _but how do they stand the smell?_ The stench was almost overpowering and she could only think of how many washes her long locs were going to need to get rid of it when they finally returned home.

She almost missed the swift left turn the man ahead of her made while she was mentally showering. She pulled up before entering the corridor peeking first since she heard voices coming from where he turned into.

"Negan's man is here. He is not alone." Michonne saw the man announce to Tamiel who was standing with Apocalypse Lurch. "He asks for _**her**_."

"I will go. You go. Tell Jadis her the deal makers have come," Tamiel said to Lurch as he nodded.

 _Why send him? Can he even speak?_ Michonne thought as she hurried to the nearest corridor to her left to avoid being seen by Tamiel and the messenger. Once she saw them pass her she hurried hoping she didn't miss her chance to follow the tall morose looking minion. _Rick had named him correctly_ as she breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief as she saw him lumbering slowly towards another hidden entrance. He even moved with the slow gait of the silent character he had been dubbed after. Too slow actually, as Michonne had caught up to him easily and unsheathed her sword. Before he could go through the plywood board doubling as a door he felt the cold steel of a sharp-edged katana at the side of his throat.

"Where. Is. She," Michonne questioned in a quiet voice that was just as deadly as the sword she wielded.

###

"You are crazy!" Jadis choked out as she rubbed her hands against her throat. Rick's handprints already marking a bruising pattern across her pasty white skin.

"Oh so you _**do** _know how to form real sentences," Rick retorted, still glaring at Jadis as she struggled for breath from across the dirt packed floor.

"Your people. Your children. Your woman. They will all die. With only you to blame," she spit out, "Think about that." She said as she stumbled to get up.

"Listen, we can go back and forth on who's gonna die and I have a feelin' you know deep down who's right," Rick replied tilting his head a bit, "You have no idea who you're fuckin' with, so you best get on outta here and find some way of escape. Cuz _my_ people, my _**woman** _are comin' and best _**you**_ think on _**that**_."

"Such pride. For nothing. You shall see" she said as she tried to match Rick squint for squint in the dimly lit cell before stalking her lanky form to the entrance. She dragged the door open and left still rubbing at her throat and muttering as she left bringing her musty odor out with her.

Rick let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding as he watched the doorway to his cell close noisily leaving him again in the hot darkness. He tried to calm his rage at this bitch's audacity to even have his children on her mind. He closed his eyes as he pictured his stoic hard-headed son, remembering him at the last target practice. He had made so much progress in the last few months, compensating for the injury that Rick still felt pangs of guilt for being the cause of. He was so proud of his boy that he almost burst thinking of all he had accomplished and all he wanted him to accomplish in this new decrepit world and how Carl would be an integral part of rebuilding it.

Judith's beautiful little face then flashed through his mind, with her insatiably curious gaze on him. _Hell_ , he thought wryly, _she's smarter than all of us put together_. Being born into this world seemed to have made her better equipped to handle the many threats she'd seen in her short life. It was almost strategic how she never made a peep while surrounded by a herd of walkers back when even the slightest sound would bring death in the form of gnashing infected teeth. And from what he gathered from Carl, she was downright rude to Negan on that fateful last visit when he tried to invade her personal space. Hell, Rick could have sworn she winked smugly at him over Michonne's shoulder once as she walked away cooing to the little girl who had suspiciously "woke up" and demanded her mother's undivided attention - right as Rick himself was getting a bit of Michonne's own brand of undivided attention in the form of her luscious warm embrace.

His body immediately went a few degrees hotter as he thought of Michonne's beautiful face. The sweatbox they had him in was nothing compared to the mere thought of her big doe eyes half hooded in lust staring directly into his. Her eye-fucks were his favorite kink and he tried to delve into the depths of the warm brown pools of them as often as he decently could publicly or otherwise. Thinking of how much love he saw in them every day made his heart beat irregularly and his breath started to catch as he thought of her smooth body entwined with his.

 _"Christ d'ya know how much I love you woman," Rick gasped as he collapsed his whole body onto Michonne's sweaty back. He still held her left wrist as his right leg thrown over hers and his left was still between hers enjoying the heat between her thighs. He knew he was too heavy for her but that last orgasm of his drained the life out of him. Literally, as he felt his cum beginning to leak out of where they were still connected with his sated penis still inside her._

 _Michonne's eyes flew open at his words and her body stiffened as he kissed her shoulder lazily. Daaammn, what she do that for, he thought as he felt her walls that were currently sheathing his cock involuntarily tighten suddenly. He couldn't concentrate on why she had suddenly froze and unintentionally stirred his blood up with her grasping pussy making him hard again but then her heard a slight sniffle._

 _"Baby? You ok?" he whispered in her ear as he used his chin to nudge her shoulder so he could see her better._

 _"No babe. It's nothing," she whispered back trying desperately to get her emotions in check. It was proving futile as she felt the tears still coming and she felt Rick growing again inside her. It was all so overwhelming and her body could only respond in kind as she felt her lower regions rhythmically pulsing around him._

 _Then it hit Rick, knowing Michonne so well he realized what was the cause of the sudden change in her and he mentally berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. This was the first time he had actually said the words to her. He knew she knew how deep his love for her was but he also knew knowing is different from actually hearing it. How could he have been so careless as to not shout it from the mountaintops every time he saw her? How could he think that his loving caresses would be enough to repay this woman for her trust and belief in him. How could he not stop himself from beginning to grind his now fully erect manhood into her as he felt her moist heat spasming to its own special beat around him?_

 _"Oh baby" he moaned as he pushed in deeper and he felt tears behind his own closed eyes, "I DO love you…" deeper still he went, "More than you could ever know" just a little deeper he pushed as Michonne began to whimper beneath him. He had to see her face. He had to look into her eyes so she could watch him as he told her. Loathe to losing the warmth his dick was happily ensconced in, Rick pulled out quickly and turned her over and nestled in position between her legs. Holding the base of his penis, he guided it back to its happy home slowly and Michonne's eyes rolled back and closed releasing another tear._

 _"Open your eyes baby," Rick murmured lovingly, as he slowly ground into her, "look at me pleas..." circling his hips to find a deeper spot to pay homage to inside her. She slowly opened her eyes to stare into his blue irises darkened by love and lust._

 _"There she is," he moaned out breathlessly before he bent to give her a deep slow kiss. He matched every slow thrust of his tongue with an equally slow pull and thrust in and out of her hot canal each time trying to reach some unseen depth within her to show just how much he loved her._

 _He lifted his upper body onto his forearms and looked at her directly, "I love you Michonne." He thrust into a little harder and she lifted her legs to wrap around him._

 _"I love you Michonne" another hard thrust as he leaned down to circle his tongue around her dark berry of a nipple. Fully conscious that he'd neglected the plush globes in their previous round of lovemaking. He made up for it now by holding them together in his hands as his tongue flicked between the two tightened buds._

 _"I love you Michonne," going a bit more deeper as she raised her hips to meet his quickening thrusts._

 _"I love you Michonne," Rick looked down at her and felt them both approaching the promised land together. The heat building up from his center and she wrapped her legs tighter around him._

 _"I love you Michonne" he said almost desperately as they stared into each other's souls never breaking eye contact as their hips met in noisy wet contact over and over._

 _"I LOVE YOU MICHONNE," he moaned loudly as he felt himself fill her to the hilt and she began biting her bottom lip finally closing her eyes to the love that was pouring out him._

 _"I" thrust "Love" thrust, "You" thrust "Michooooonnnee!"_

 _Rick exploded with everything he had left in him into her waiting womb and the veracity of his cum hit Michonne in parts unknown as she raked her nails along his back and moaned out "I love you Rick!"_

BOOM!

The floor shook Rick out of his reverie instantly and he knew it was time. He could almost feel her presence as he began to smell the hint of smoke in the air. The door to his cell quickly pulled open and two men quickly grabbed him up and tried to drag him out into the cool outdoor air.

###

"She is with him," the tall skinny man said knowing exactly who was asking and who his unseen assailant was asking for.

"I will show you. Follow." He had no illusions that death had finally come for him and he was resigned to hoping she would make it as quick as possible as long as he did as she requested. He was tired of this stinking world, and he was almost happy that this horror story that had become his life was soon coming to an end. He pushed through the plywood door and Michonne continued behind him with her sword at his back.

"Wait," Michonne grabbed his collar as she saw something familiar dangling from his hip as he stepped into the better lit hall he was leading her through. "You must be a favored soul for her to let you have this." She snarled as she grabbed Rick's red handled axe from the hip holster on the lanky man.

"I took." He replied in a tired sounding monotone, "It was there. So, I took."

The absolute gall of these people, Michonne thought as she secured the hatchet and pushed him to continue moving. I'll show them how we take, nudging him a little harder to speed up his unhurried pace. They continued on and he led her to another doorway that let out to what looked like an outdoor train yard. It reminded her of Terminus as there were several abandoned train cars with their entrances arranged in a U shape. Some of the entrances were open as they passed them and Michonne came to the conclusion that this must be where they lived. She saw bric-a-brac furniture and mattresses laid out on the some of the dirt packed floors. The occupants seemed to have left in a hurry to leave their "homes" so wide open. But then, what was there to be cautious of, someone coming in stealing some of their precious collection of discarded wood planks.

The thin man suddenly pulled up short and gestured with his head towards a train car ahead of them with two men were standing stoically in front of. The corrugated metal entrance slid opened with a grinding screech and the woman herself came hurrying out rubbing her neck and looking mightily displeased.

"Remain." She said to the guards, "He doesn't understand …yet. WE win. He loses all." She muttered to herself as she stalked away in the opposite direction of Michonne and her prisoner.

Michonne tightened her grip on her katana the moment she saw the bottle job blunt cut head appear and it took every bit of her inner strength not to run after her and push her katana slowly through the woman's gut. But she knew her time was limited and Carl's signal was going to happen at any moment. Just as she had that thought the ground shook underneath her from a nearby explosion. That's my boy, she couldn't help thinking as she and "Lurch" stumbled backwards from the tremor. The two guards looked at each other quizzically when another series of explosions began. Smoke was starting to filter through the air and Michonne knew there was no more time to spare.

"You have a choice, either die here now fast or die out there fast?" she said to the man still looking around for the source of the mayhem beginning around him. He didn't take a second to think before he ran straight into Michonne's sword. Michonne could almost admire his kamikaze act if she didn't loathe him so much. "Good choice," she said as kicked him backwards to release him for the sword's hold. She pivoted and swung, immediately decapitating him before his body could hit the ground and Apocalypse lurch was no more.

She stalked to the train car where the guards hurriedly reopened and was almost upon them when she saw them dragging her half naked man out between them.

"Where are your clothes?" she asked with no preamble to announce her sudden appearance. The two guards stopped short and one actually pissed himself when he saw the sleek Samurai emerge from the billowing smoke. Rick could barely contain his pride or his elation on hearing his woman's voice. He couldn't see them yet because his eyes were still adjusting to the outside light and the smoke building up around them but he was sure that her beautiful brown eyes were staring directly into his, looking for any harm or further injustice done to him.

"Where. Are. Your. Clothes?" Michonne repeated, the irritation clear in her quiet voice.

"Baby, they took my clothes," Rick said almost petulantly, as if someone had snatched his favorite toy firetruck away from him. As a matter of fact,… "Aaannd they took my axe too!" Rick knew he was egging her on, flinging gasoline on the smoldering flame of rage he saw burning in her deep brown eyes. Knowing that he sounded more and more like Pretty Ricky, he was thanking God AND sweet baby Jesus that Carl wasn't there to see this Oscar worthy performance he was putting on for the forbearance of his woman.

Finding him was never a question to Rick. His giddiness was coming from the adrenaline now pumping in his veins as he saw her sexy form come through the smoke like a damn fire angel. Her long silver blade at the ready moving like a lioness stalking her prey. Oh, the things she was going to do this colony of worker bees of the trash hive community. Oh, the thangs he was gonna do to her once they reduced this place to ashes. He was wound tight as a wire spring and he was just waiting for her signal to be the roaring lion mate to her devouring lioness.

"Did they now," she sneered at the two garbage henchmen who were currently looking fearfully back and forth between each other and the smoky silhouette of the sleek samurai.

"Well, are you going to tell me where his clothes are or …do I have to pick a limb," as she angled her unsheathed sword at the nearest trashcan minion.

"Taking too long," she said in an almost sing song voice as she reached back behind her back and brought forth Rick's beloved red handled axe and tossed it to him. As he reached to grab it she sliced forward with her katana. Now having full use of both her hands she picked the limb she wanted to sever mentally. The katana made short work of the poor minion's left leg as he crumbled to the ground. Within 3 seconds Rick had caught his axe and did his own appendage picking by chopping directly into the back of the other minion's head.

Panting hard Michonne and Rick stared at each other briefly over the bleeding bodies between them. Their happiness and relief at finally seeing each other short-lived as the world continued to explode around them. After taking a beat to fully appreciate each other, Rick bent to the task of removing the pants from the man he had killed. Trying to ignore the thought of what types of vermin the man had living in his trousers he pulled them on hurriedly as Michonne stood with sword aloft prepared to deal with anyone who would happen upon them. I never thought I'd miss his old tore up jeans, she thought looking back at Rick as he buttoned the dusty looking trousers onto his hips. Instantly she began to unbuckle his hip holster holding his beloved Colt Python and handed it over.

"Thanks hon," he couldn't hide his smile as he felt himself become whole once he buckled the belt on and pulled his gun out to check his ammo.

"Erm… baby" he said as he grasped Michonne by the hips taking her in tight embrace, "I'm gonna need this back," indicating the blue denim shirt she was wearing over her sexy frame, "I'll give it back later. Can't go running around half naked now can I."

"No, I guess you can't," Michonne smirked back at him as she removed her favorite garment and gave it back to its previous owner.

"Who's with us now," Rick asked getting into battle mode heading back toward the corridors leading into the trash maze passing by Apocalypse Lurch's headless body.

"Carl, Rosita and Carol," she replied as she heard another series of explosions, "Daryl and the King with a few others" as they entered the dimly lit corridor. They didn't get but a few meters before Jadis showed herself from one of the hidden hallways leading into the corridor.

"You!" Jadis exclaimed, "You think this will help you win?" glaring at Michonne with all the hate of a spurned bitch gone wild.

Rage unlike any Michonne had ever known rose from her gut to her throat in a cold and deadly wave. She lifted her sword and Rick backed away almost feeling the deadliness wafting from Michonne.

"Oh please," Jadis sneered at Michonne as she raised a Glock, aiming it at Michonne's head, "You bring sword to gun fight."

"No bitch."

Jadis momentarily startled as she heard the click of a gun being cocked dangerously close to her earlobe, "She brought me.," Carl replied back.

That moment and Carl was enough as Michonne wasted no time in bringing her sword down hard. The gun and Jadis' dirty hand still gripping it fell with a loud clatter to the dirty floor.

 **Author's Note: told y'all I'd get you something by the premiere! Remember this is un-beta'd and please excuse any mistakes and run-on sentences (my beta be really doing her magic man) but once it's beta'd I'll reupload. I hope you enjoyed your premiere. I myself will have to wait for the London premiere.. a full 24 hours later!**


	14. Vengeance - A Brief Intermission

**Author's Note:** So since I wasn't able to do a proper Author's Note in my last couple of chappies to do my thang and hail up my beloved readers and reviewers I decided to make it it's own Chapter. Don't worry, this is not the end and only a brief intermission because I got lots more trash to take out and I'm having so much fun doing it. Hope you all enjoyed the premiere! I'm low key hating on all of y'all cuz I'm a full day behind you with your fancy US premiere time.

But onto you my fab peoples:

First can I just say I can't thank you all old reviewers and new favorites! I never thought when kendrawriter33 started me on this journey that I'd get anyone to suffer through my long run on sentences and grammatical hell that is my writing (commas should die and burn in hell) except her wonderful self and look what I got: 170+ reviews! C'mon dawgs what?! This has been an amazing experience and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Ok comewithnattah I. Can't. Even. With you. I want to take all of your reviews and make them a short story unto themselves. They are that damn good. "Ricklixir"?! It is Written and it is Law! SLAMMING MY HAND DOWN. No wonder Call is always at the top of my list if someone ever asks me what I'm reading... and re-reading. I'm sorry y'all but I've said this before if you ain't reading Call by comewithnattah we can't be peoples. We can't buddies... I'm borderline obsessed with my sisterwife. But seriously... go check Call out.

siancore firefly-class can08writer sophiasown love that y'all are loving my take on Carchonne and Carl and his swinging pendulum between bad ass to just bad ass teenager. I've said it before but Michonne and Carl have had barely any scenes together (that were broadcast - I'm looking at you whoever it is to relegate the awesome Grimes 2.0 moments to DVD extras - who got time for that I ask you when you got time leaning ass Negan and his speechifyin') and I felt compelled to do honor to that special relationship. That being said, lord I'm still thinking on how Mama Michonne is going to ground his cussin' bad ass rumark24. He gon' accept it tho and have to take several seats when she's done with him

yes jerkchickenz the plan is what you and a couple others hinted at and CAN YOU EVEN. The freaking gall of them. I felt like Negan and his petty and J-Dog with her nasty come-ons would actually think that something like this would work on The First Family of the Apocalypse. In my mind they think everyone is like them or should be and have let this world they're living in destroy their humanity. Of course a stupid plan like that would make sense to them. But in my out loud voice high and clear so they can hear from the back - The Fam Gon' Show Em Today!

zeejack nah I don't think any of them can really handle the realness that is Carol to be honest. I think she can barely handle herself - which is part of the problem. and yes atm0000 my Daryl tried to put that truth on her but I think may NR has it in his contract that he has a set number of lines and then the rest is grumbly brooding so I don't know if the writer's will try to give him as much dialogue as I've given him. We can hope though together. And to my Guest reviewer my Carol does seem to be a bit full of herself but like she so accurately said she wasn't there in that clearing so she really can't fathom what they were up against. she's got what I'm coining as GuiltGod Complex.

DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne mtownrichonner riyaboo12 tigerwalk courtgirl26 RGBzMom Are you excited? ME TOO! Y'alls got me excited to write more and I can't wait to get to more. I'm hoping to keep you all on pins and needles for awhile. So bear with me.

Chezza3009 rumark24 I love the ladies gonna work it out team of Rosita, Carol and Queen Michonne. I'm about to throw Maggie's pregnant behind all up in the mix soon I just haven't had any scenes at the Hilltop... YET. So stay tuned.

Ohhhh you special person sophiasown your reviews are also ones that I want to wrap up into it's own short story. They make my day with your insight and Carchonne love.

supermichonnethequeen Welcome to my world! Thank you for loving it and yes I agree on the Rosita character assassination that she went through. When she had those last scenes with Sasha I just felt her fight and spunkiness and how the whole Abe situation almost brought her down and I just knew she had some fight more fight left in her.

Ok I think I've covered my bases and I'm going to get onto a real chapter after I get to bask in the goodness that is the 100th episode... a full 24 hours after y'all... (I'm so bitter about that right now) but again thank you!

Mattismommy/winterscorp out.


	15. Chapter 15

**FOURTEEN**

"Aaaaarrrghhh!"

The guttural, almost animalistic scream sounded like it came from the deepest, darkest pit of Jadis' soul. Adrenaline and pure hatred propelling her forward, arms outstretched, seemingly immune to the fact that she was now sans a right hand. With blood spurting from the fresh wound, she grabbed at Michonne's throat with her left hand, determined to do some damage to this … nemesis that this world had given her. Shocked momentarily by the insane outburst, Michonne was knocked backward, clutching at the hand around her neck. Pure, cold hate stared right back at pure deadly malice as the two women struggled for an upper hand. Michonne clearly had it. She also had a blessedly hard head that she used to give Jadis a head butt that sent them both away from each other, reeling. Michonne's reflexes although a bit slower from the impact of the blow, were still quicker than the trash queen losing copious amounts of blood. She saw her chance and took it, immediately grabbing her collar to keep Jadis upright.

"You care? 'Bout that lost hand?" Michonne, almost whispered as she delivered a punch to Jadis' jaw, shattering it so that it hung loosely askew from her face.

"You care?" Michonne delivered another blow to the pointed nose that Jadis seemed so fond of squinting down. "Your people will all burn to death? Huh?"

Michonne's voice raised a miniscule octave as she shook Jadis, whose body was becoming increasingly limp from blood loss, looking for a reprieve from the pain in lovely black unconsciousness.

" _Tell me!_ Do. You. Care." One more blow and a tooth came flying gave Jadis' body a final disgruntled shake before allowing her to simply fall into a crumpled heap at her feet. Michonne crouched down and drew Jadis' mangled face to her by the scruff of her bloodied shirt, "There is no _after_ for you." Their faces were so close Michonne could have placed a soft goodbye kiss on her mangled nose. "You care?"

Defiant to the end Jadis glared at Michonne, her vision steadily going fuzzy at the edges, her only focus the deep brown orbs of Michonne's.

"No." Her final word on the subject. She allowed herself to slip into the dark abyss, welcoming the death that should have come long ago.

Michonne was not impressed. She slapped her awake and made sure she looked directly into Jadis' eyes as she said her final farewell. "You're going to turn… then burn. You care?" she whispered viciously.

Defeat and finally an inkling of fear crept into the fading light in Jadis' eyes. She was finally understanding the depth of the retribution her vainglorious escapades with the Saviors had brought her.

"Wait!" Carl yelled before bending down, hoping that Jadis wasn't dead just yet, "Are there kids here? Where are the children?" he hissed urgently at her, desperately hoping she'd at least care about the innocent lives that could be saved from her fiery fate.

Jadis began choking on her own blood and her eyes began to roll backwards as she continued her staring war with Michonne. Knowing she was going to lose and feeling her life ebb away she could only reply, "Why… you care?"

And with that Jadis was no more.

###

"Forward! Forward my brothers at arms!"

King Ezekiel could be heard over the roaring fires blazing sporadically around the courtyard urging his people through the gate that had been pulled open by the panicked sentries who were trying to escape as the trash world began to explode around them. Smoke billowed to the sky from around the perimeter and within from Carl's surprise grenade. Scores of trash people tumbled from various trapdoors and hidden entry points scattered around the courtyard to witness and attempt escape from the destruction of their little world. But there was no escape. It was either face the coming onslaught of their self-proclaimed enemies - or face death by the fire and smoke that was beginning to surround them.

Shouts varying from screams of surrender to war cries to "Is that a fucking tiger?" greeted King Ezekiel, Jerry and Daryl as they led the vanguard into the courtyard. The small force behind the King didn't move far into the courtyard before lining up and going to one knee each raising their firearms. The next wave formed a secondary line standing behind the kneeling front line with their guns aimed at the oncoming horde of trash dwellers.

"Halt or perish!" the King yelled to the retreating crowd. A lot of them stopped immediately upon seeing the organized group that had barged in bringing hell with them. Each group staring at each other with nothing but animosity and the gathering smoke between them. _We ain't got time for a Mexican standoff_ , Daryl though as he held his cross bow aloft, finger on the trigger just itching to pull.

"Y'all willing to burn for all this?" He yelled across the short distance to no one in particular. He was ready to finish this - full out slaughter or not. But he didn't see Rick or Michonne amongst the fleeing horde, so he tried to calm the killing beast within.

"We come. Don't kill. We fight for you?", yelled one of the men at the front.

"Naw man… see we already tried that," Daryl retorted, not trusting these sacks of garbage as far as he could throw a bow, "I think we just end this now." He adjusted his aim, putting the man who spoke directly in the path of a bow to the skull. The man stepped back, dropping his weapon with a resigned look on his face as if he was ready to die.

"Daryl! Wait," Carol had made her way in from behind the shooting line and laid a calming hand on Daryl's shoulder, "We don't have to do this… We've got this one," she pleaded quietly, "This place is done. And we still haven't seen Rick yet?" She reasoned quietly in his ear.

She didn't care whether these people lived or died, at least she didn't think she did, but the thought of Daryl having to kill an unarmed man in cold blood? Well that she cared about. Carol knew if he had to do that, it wouldn't calm the raging beast she knew he had been struggling with. She knew that beast well because it lived with her every day and she was just coming to terms with using that beast's strength only when necessary. She knew this murderous act would irreparably change him and that she could not bear to see. Besides, she reasoned, Michonne, Carl and Rick were still in here somewhere. Until she had eyes on them these people could be useful in helping to find them.

"We're going to let you out, but one of you must lead us to where our leader is being kept," Carol spoke to the crowd. Time was running out as they all heard the crash of years of very flammable debris all around them.

"I'll show you. Get our people out," said the same man, recognizing the gift of life coming from the grey eyed woman. "Just get our people out. Weapons down!" he yelled to the crowd behind him, his eyes began to water and he didn't know if it was from the smoke or from relief.

"No!", King Ezekiel called back, "come forward you devils of the realm of rubbish, hold your weapons, we will take them once we are out of the gates," he gestured behind him and the ranks split in two to allow the citizens of garbage city to pass. Aaron and Eric both hurried ahead out of the gates, wary of the group following them at their backs. They needn't worry, however, as each minion was very aware of the guns trained on them and focused on hurrying to escape through the gate.

"Come. We must hurry to get to them if they have not succumbed to the fire yet," the strange man said to his pixie savior, "We have to go now."

"Carol, they will meet us outside of the gates!" King Ezekiel was not going to allow her to be led into the crumbling city with no means of escape. Rosita stood with Daryl looking around for any sign of Michonne or Rick's approach.

"Come. Now. Or it will be too late.." the man yelled desperately and began to run towards the one wall that wasn't currently on fire.

"I'm going," Carol hissed at the King. "Make sure everyone is out safe. I will be back." And she ran to follow the man. Daryl didn't hesitate and followed in Carol's wake. King Ezekiel went to follow after but Rosita grabbed him back.

"Believe me, he's got this," she pulled him back towards the gates. "You have to make sure your people are safe. Just like Carol said." Rosita was no stranger to the Daryl/Carol dynamic and she knew that Daryl would only see the king as a nuisance in the way of his protection of Carol. They didn't have time for a pissing contest on who could be the one to save a woman who was in reality quite capable of saving her own damn self. As she struggled with the King, Shiva began growling her disapproval which brought him back to the reality of the situation. With a fleeting glance back to Carol's small form he made his way back to the gate with Rosita and Jerry, who never left his side. He chanced one more glance back and to his horror as he watched Daryl and Carol disappear through an entranceway, an avalanche of rubbish and fire tumbled down to block it.

"Come on!" Rosita yelled not willing to let the thought of Michonne being buried alive creep into her mind. "There are other ways out of there! Trust me, we'll see them on the other side!" She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or him at this point but it didn't matter - they had to get out of there _now_.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Heyyyyy guys! Did you enjoy your premiere and second episode of the season? I'm not salty at all that you're a day ahead of me YES I AM.**

 **I'm looking forward to seeing why in hell Negan is impervious to bullets but all those windows in the Sanctuary ... they go bye bye. I'm pretty sure the writers are kind of following the comics on this but it is still frustrating.**

 **Anyway, I digress - onto you and your awesomeness:**

 **mtownrichonner MannaRN courtgirl26 Pretty Ricky gets all the awards I think! Ha I love that y'all call him that.**

 **riyaboo12 DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne soooo y'all like! Good! Hope you liked this one just as much. ya know.. cuz of all the trash dying and what not.**

 **RBGzMom we all know that Michonne is gonna want him clean... sooooo**

 **jerkchickenz zeejack richonnelandfill rumark24 can08writier man listen, Carl is straight earning his groundation in this story. But Grimes 2.0 had to show them and there is no Grimes fam without Carl who has clearly let all the bad assery of his 'rents rub off on him.**

 **Lovelyshmi minton131 darkromancelove WELCOME and thank you! Jadis didn't know who she was effin' with so Queen Michonne had to let her know right quick. No time for warning pops in my story.**

 **sophiasown if she wasn't dead before... well she dead now. hope I made you a happy Richonner! Are you dancing? I hope so.**

 **comewithnattah Sdubs... you already know. I live for your review and now I'm sitting here thinking how can I get you in a scene retwisting Queen Michonne's beautiful locs. HeartEyes Mfer 4 like ALWAYS**

 **kendrawriter33 this all would not be possible without you. you're probably going to deny it but me no care. thank you! x**


	16. Chapter 16

**FIFTEEN**

 _This isn't the time,_ Rick thought as his grip tightened on her katana, trying to reign in all the emotions he felt raging through him. Love was fighting lust and both were fighting pride as he watched Michonne deliver her own version of the last rites to Jadis' body. He stood mesmerized as she delivered each blow, one stronger than the next as she continued to ask "Do you care?". Was there anything sexier than his woman right now?

Michonne delivered the final death sentence, letting Jadis know **exactly** what was going to happen to her once she passed through this earthly veil.

"You're going to turn… then burn. You care?" Rick heard her utter quietly, causing a surge of heat and blood to rush downward, straight to his second head. _I fuckin' love this woman_ , he thought as he tried to contain himself from grabbing her up, bloody and all, and pushing her against the wall for a jaw breaking kiss.

He barely registered Carl even being there until he heard the boy trying to wrangle a weak answer from Jadis' dying vessel about whether there were children in the community. With all the smoke and his red hot laser focus on Michonne, the eldest Grimes hadn't realized - it had been Carl's approach that gave Michonne her moment to annihilate Jadis. His vision was too full of the two warrior women battling in front of him. A small sliver of ego made him smirk at the idea that this battle to the death was partly over him. Common sense quickly overrode that thought, however, replaced by the immediate afterthought that it was more a battle of respect. As in: Jadis had disrespected Michonne for the last time. Flaunting her designs on Rick, callously betraying her trust, and now holding Rick captive for a lost cause. It was lesson teachin' time, and Rick was not about to stop Michonne.

When all was said and done and Jadis lay still, there was a moment of stunned silence before Rick finally took in their surroundings. The smoke was starting to accumulate. He could revisit all the thangs he was going to do to show his woman just how proud he was of her later. With relish..

Right now, though, they had to find their way out of this hellfire garbage pit.

"Carl, leave it son," he crouched down next to Carl, who was still trying to shake Jadis back to consciousness. "She's gone and she's gonna come back any moment now."

"I never saw any kids around on any of our trips here," Gavin offered, startling Rick enough to raise his Colt and aim it directly at the newcomer's head.

"Wait! Dad he's with us now," Carl yelled, scrambling in front of Gavin to block him, while Gavin held his hands up, "He got us in here and… he saved my life." Both Gavin and Rick looked at Carl with raised eyebrows.

Rick was surprised and a still a bit wary. Gavin's surprise was coupled with gratitude. These people may never stop aiming guns at him but Gavin knew he had at least earned one's trust so far. He meant to keep on earning it-if they all happened to survive this day.

"Well.. alright," Rick tilted his head a bit and gave Gavin his best steely eyed squint, gun still aloft, "Carl says you're one of us… for now. Then so be it. But I swear to God if you so much as _twitch_ in a Savior-like way…"

"I know. I'm a dead man. You'll kill me", Gavin said, already so used to being threatened on an hourly basis, he could have set his watch to "Hey It's Kill Gavin Time" by now.

"No. _I_ will," Michonne uttered with her usual cool menacing tone. She gestured to the very fucking dead Jadis. "She's turning and it's time to get the hell out of here."

She turned to Rick with her hand out for her sword and they shared one last heat filled gaze with each other. In those five seconds you could almost see the silent communication between them. The love, the hope, the gratefulness – the _rightness_ of just being together again. Mostly you could see one word, hovering over them like a comical word bubble you'd find in all the comics Michonne and Carl devoured in their free time. _**SOON**_ **.**

The men watched as Michonne used her sword to easily slice both of Jadis' arms off and Rick then held the snarling, reanimated carcass of their now felled enemy up so Michonne could get her jaw in an act of brutal finality. _No bitey for you, you silly stinking bitch_ , Gavin thought as he watched in awe. _Turn and burn indeed,_ he watched as they flung the body back down and stepped over it.

"Let's move!" Rick snarled, grabbing Michonne's hand, "You know how to get the hell outta here?" he asked Gavin.

"Yeah, follow me!" Gavin wasted no time falling in line, turning to lead them back the way he and Carl came.

###

"Well _**shit!**_ " Carol exclaimed as she whirled around to face the now blocked entrance they had just narrowly escaped through.

"Yeah… not gonna get out _that_ way I'm guessin'." Daryl stood, breathing hard and staring at the smoking mountain of junk that had tumbled down into a smoldering blockade. Carol rolled her eyes at Daryl's blunt way of stating the obvious and turned to the man supposedly leading them to Rick.

"Well now that _that's_ established…" she gestured to the man, "You wanna pull your finger out and lead the fucking way?"

"Yes. We must hurry." The lanky man had been assessing the damage, too, but now he turned and began to jog down the dimly lit corridor. Pockets of smoke had already started pushing through the crevices between the trash and debris.

 _Hurry, he says_ , Carol thought, _these men, even at the end of the world they want to mansplain how water is fucking wet_. She rolled her eyes as she hoisted her rifle onto her shoulder and ran behind him with Daryl running beside her. He felt the exasperation rolling off of her tiny form and figured he'd keep his country mouth shut from here on, out of self-preservation alone. He knew he was a moment's shy of getting a bullet to some part of his body if he continued to push his luck with the spark plug pixie. _Maybe not a killshot but she'd make the shit hurt_ , he mused as the unlikely trio ran, making left and right turns in the varying wormholes that passed for hall ways and walkways.

The garbage minion pulled up to a sudden halt and as Carol and Daryl caught up they stared down at the headless body of Apocalypse Lurch.

"Michonne has definitely been this way," Carol concluded, looking at the bloody sword wound to the man's chest. Their tour guide barely registered Carol's response. He merely stood there, staring at the prone form of his former comrade.

Suddenly, they heard running footsteps approaching.

"Rick!" Carol hollered as she saw Rick running towards them grasping Michonne tightly with Gavin and Carl just ahead of them. The rare toothy smile Rick usually reserved for his family broke across his face as he rushed towards Carol and Daryl. All three embraced quickly as the rest of the group looked on.

"Man… you smell like shit," Daryl grimaced and scrunched up his nose as he still held onto his brother in arms. _This motherfucker right here,_ thought Michonne immediately, _if he don't have a damn nerve_.

"Well now I guess I know how you feel on a daily basis," Rick, not skipping a beat, immediately retorted with a tilt of his head and a small smirk on his face.

"C'mon boys," Carol looking at her two favorite men this side of the apocalypse, "We can have the dick swingin' contest _after_ we get the hell out of here. None of us are going to smell nice as burnt up walker."

"Ain't no way out back this way," Daryl said turning to their leading Garbage Maze expert, "this guy was showin' us the way to y'all so now he best be showing us the other way out." The strange man had been observing this outpouring of affection between the groups with a curious almost wistful look. It had been awhile since he'd seen _any_ emotion, much less the obvious familial affection that these people showed for each other. What he wouldn't have given to have found this group instead of the cold and distant survivalist camp he now found himself a part of. When did he decide to become _less than,_ he tried to recall. Less than a man, less than a _human_ he thought in the brief seconds that he observed them. Shaking his head free of the reverie, he straightened up his gaze turned to the walkway behind Rick.

"Yes. We must go through the 'Circle'", and he made a move in the direction that Michonne and Rick had come from.

"What's the circle", Carl asked as he made to follow the man.

"Where we sleep. Where we kept _him,_ " the man gestured with his chin to Rick continuing on down the corridor, "Where we … lived."

The group broke into a light jog approaching the outdoor entrance that led back outside to the train car shantytown. The smoke pockets seemed to be getting bigger as they hissed through the growing holes in the walls of the corridor they were running through. The ground began to shake beneath their running feet and both walls on either side of them began bulging out as they succumbed to the growing pressure. As Rick, Michonne and Carl followed the man almost out of the exitway, a loud horrifying screech of metal suddenly surrounded them. One section of the right wall suddenly collapsed out barely missing Carl's shoulder but catching Gavin with a barrage of flying beer cans, metal fittings and whatever brik-a-brak the grand architects of refuse decided to use to hold the tenuous structure together.

"Gavin!" Carl yelled turning around to help Gavin up.

"Carl! I got him, you keep movin'" Daryl pushed Carl toward the direction of his parents. He couldn't believe he was actually helping this Savior sonofabitch. Thinking about it, Daryl figured he'd proven himself thus far and he was damned if he'd risk Carl's life either way for _this_ fucker. As he turned to retrieve Gavin, who was still struggling to get up while holding a bleeding gash above his right eye, the left wall closest to the outlet began to buckle. Daryl seeing that they had no time left grabbed Carol into fast but hard hug and then thrust her tiny body through the opening. She fell forward hard onto the packed dirt and turned swiftly to look Daryl directly in the eye for a millisecond before the wall buckled in and collapsed inward pushing all sorts of detritus and smoke out of the entranceway.

Rick turned in horror and yelled Daryl's name. He began to run back to get his brother the fuck out of there but Michonne and Carl had each grabbed him, preventing him from getting to close. Carol sat stunned for a minute not accepting that she just saw Daryl disappear in front of her eyes. She shook her head violently from side to side, dust and dirt flying from the strands of hair.

 _No._

 _Nope._

 _Not Daryl._ The words screamed inside her head in a repetitive litany.

"We _must_ move. Now", the man yelled back at them and was almost thrown back by the force of stunned hatred coming from a set of flint grey eyes.

"We can't leave him here!" Rick cried out.

"We must." was the man's only response.

Michonne cupped Rick's cheek and looked deep into his azure eyes already welling up with unshed tears. "We have to go Rick. You _know_ we do." They stared at each other for a beat understanding exactly what walking away now would do to each of them. What it would it would do to their family. What it would do to... they both turned to the still stunned form of Carol. Still staring.

Rick moved toward Carol, who immediately put up a foreboding hand.

"No. We're going," she stated determinedly, "He's going to make it out some other way. I … _know_ he's going to come back to me…To us. No. Let's find our way of here." She shrugged away Rick's helping hand and stood up. The steel in her backbone keeping her head held high. She took one more glance back and gestured for them to lead the way.

 _He's going to make it. I know he will._ She recited the mantra as they ran through the courtyard to the way out into the dark forest surrounding the compound.

 **A/n: Hey hey my wonderful readers! I must apologize for the 2 week delay in this chapter. Full disclosure: I celebrate Natvember (my birthday) HARD. Like really hard! As hard as mother of a toddler can soooo you know yeah I celebrate hard-ish? and this was one for the books because I also got a new job in the midst of everything AND I'm in the middle of finishing a project for work before I transition to the new job. So again, I'm really sorry for the delay and I hope you can forgive me. I know y'all are looking for a hot reunion between our faves but I've got a bit more killing to do because that leaning ass sonofabitch is still walking and breathing the same oxygen as the rest of the world and I mean to bring hellfire upon him soon. I don't think there are going to be many more chapters so maybe 5 maximum before I draw this to a close. I'm also starting an AU but I won't continue it or drop it until this one is finished so don't worry.**

 **Ok now to y'all:**

 **Hello Lovelyshmi ! Welcome and thank you. Yes she really done messed up and she got what she deserved. I wish I could kill her so many different ways but I hope you liked this way.**

 **riyaboo12 sophiasown is you really singin' "ding dong the witch is dead." Ok. I'm totally here for all of that! and yes a reunion for you and flacagonzales chezza3009 and all of y'all looking for mommy and daddy playtime is in the works. Funny thing is, I have that part already written but I've got some more to get to in between.**

 **Tigerwalk Trying to write Ezekiel makes me laugh and is one of the fun parts of this journey I've been taking. I'm so glad that you like my Baffling Bard Ezekiel.**

 **RBGzMom get outta my head! You scare me. Nah you don't. :-) I'm thinking you could have predicted a part of this chapter? Maybe? hmm? and listen I don't even know how Carl is gonna be able to sit straight with whoopin' that Michonne probably has in mind as she's tallying up all his indiscretions. He may get a pass for showing up at all the right times but... this here is a Black Mama soo...**

 **rumark24 wouldn't that totally be something Carl would worry about don't you think? He's such a precious.**

 **sophiasown I'm still trying to figure out Caryl my damn self from the show and I'm not sure of Carzekiel either. I'm just going to see where this story takes me,**

 **Ohhh my SDub Numero Uno comewithnattah - where did I find you at and why am I so blessed. Your reviews... man listen. I'm naming a drink after you! That's what I'm gonna do. It's gonna be part tequila, part rum, part SoCo and part some chambord (because you're sweet as well as strong) with a spritz of seltzer and I'm gonna call it the CALL ME NATTAH. And yes I got you for the Welcome Back ... It's coming.**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne I'm sorry the last one was so short, I hope this one makes up for it. I'm definitely working on making them longer but I am glad you're looking forward to more of this story.**

 **cano8writer mtownrichonner atm0000 MannaRN y'all happy now? I killed the bitch. and I loved every second of writing it! and I love y'all for loving my killing.**

 **P.S. How awesome is my beta kendrawriter33 did y'all see that article in Buzzfeed in which she's featured as one of the GREATS of this game?! Well deserved and I'm blessed.**


	17. Chapter 17

**SIXTEEN**

Smoke. That was all Daryl could register as the seconds ticked by as he lay on the ground where the trash avalanche had thrown him. A hacking cough was what brought him to consciousness and for a brief moment he was thankful for the smokey air surrounding him. Gavin lay just a bit to his side beginning to stir. Gavin moved to his knees and he too began coughing and trying to take in his surroundings, half blinded from the blood leaking from the gash above his eye. Daryl struggled to his feet and began patting himself down to assess if any more damage had been done to his body by the collapse. Satisfied that he was still mobile he turned to grab Gavin roughly to his feet. Ignoring Gavin's protesting whimper, he gave him a shake to bring him to his senses.

"C'mon man. You aight! Ain't nothing but a scratch on you," he said half holding Gavin's slumping body and looking around for any means of escape. Looking toward the blocked path in front of him he painfully remembered the last look he and Carol shared. It wasn't a "goodbye" look that he had felt when they communicated in that miniscule moment in time. It was a _pissed_ look and he knew that he was going to make his way out of this smoldering dump come hell or high water to face her wrath. He'd wallow in that rage and swim in its depths. She was going to give him hell for saving her life. For leaving her. She was going to tear him an entire new asshole for him making her feel the uncertainty of his loss and by god he was going to be entirely present for it. Because he also knew, after the wrath would come the rapture. The happy rapture of knowing he'd fought tooth and nail to live and get back to her. And for that he was willing to take whatever she threw at him… once he got out of here.

"Alright… on your feet asshole," Daryl said more assertively, "there's definitely gotta be another way out of here and we're fixin' to find it."

Gavin felt a bit more clear headed now that he had it shaken out him. Even if he wasn't ready to move he wasn't about to tell the grungy archer with the determined glint in his eyes. _Do they all have menacing squints? Or was that just an Alexandria thing,_ he wondered as he mustered up the strength to search for an exit.

"I've only gone this way a couple of times, but I know there are tunnels leading to the outside," Gavin murmured more to himself than to his new travel companion.

###

Strong. His grip on Michonne's hand was strong. That was the only way to describe it. The moment Rick grabbed her hand and began the jog behind the man leading them in a zigzag formation out of the "Circle" of now abandoned train car/garbage abodes he held onto her… strongly. She knew he was thinking about Daryl and how they left him. She knew he was blaming himself for yet another death… on his watch. Another family member lost. A brother no less, to _his_ plan. Making a mental notch in his guilt belt to go with his murder coat list. The tighter he gripped her though, she gripped him right back. No way in hell was Michonne going to let him bear the brunt of this alone.

Rick felt her return his grip and as always it calmed him. Knowing that he had a true partner in all of this… madness… made all the difference. Rick knew she was reading him like a book and he knew she was taking it upon herself to shoulder the weight with him. He glanced sideways to his left and saw Carol soldiering on beside them with the cold stoic dead stare ahead. Every footstep they took she matched beside them as if determined to show them just how alright she was with the situation. Like the very notion of Daryl being permanently gone never entered her mind. Looking at her, Rick even began to let a small glimmer of hope start to burn deep in his gut. He didn't try to quell it. He almost didn't want to acknowledge it or like the smoke from a birthday candle wish it would be gone. He just let it sit there in the back while they ran to escape the stench of the burning refuse and smoldering bodies around them.

Finally, the group came out to a clearing and the man stopped and hunched over breathing heavily.

"We are out," he proclaimed between catching his breath, "You tell me which way now," looking up to Michonne and Rick as they stood tasting the fresh air finally.

Carl could barely contain the tears streaming down his face and they all looked behind them to the fiery carnage they left in their wake. Michonne looked from Carl to Rick and shook her head. These beautiful Grimes men that would surely be the end of her and were definitely her beginning. _Guilt is running hot in their blood_ , she thought and she refused to let it corrode her men.

"Show us where the original entrance is and then I'll know where are people are", Michonne spoke calmly, "Your leader is dead by the way."

"I know," the man responded despondently, "I've known since we took _him_. She would die, "as he turned to continue his new job as scout leader.

"Don't seem too broken up about it," Rick observed as they walked the perimeter skirting the forest surrounding the dump site.

"Not bothered," was the only reply the man seemed willing to give.

"When we get to our people, you're going to have some decisions to make," Michonne declared quietly, "whether you'll be bothered to die is up to you." Willing everyone to adjust their mindset with just the sound of her voice. Carl stopped sniffling, Carol straightened up and adjusted her rifle on her shoulder and Rick… well he just tightened his grip on her hand. A grunt in response was all she could get from the minion and they continued silently on their way. They all pulled up short when they heard hurried footsteps coming towards them. Guns safeties were unlocked simultaneously and cocked as Rick, Michonne, Carl and Carol immediately stopped and aimed in the direction of the oncoming unknowns coming towards them.

"Oh thank god," Aaron gasped as he ran towards Rick with Eric a few short steps behind them. "We knew you'd had to get out someway and the King and Rosita sent a few of us to search the surroundings," he explained as he looked with tears of grateful happiness in his eyes. It diminished gradually as he took in the too small group. "Where's Da…"

"Is everyone at a rendezvous point near here" Rick countered, evading Aaron's questions and eyes. Aaron, resigning himself to the possible answer to his unanswered question gritted his teeth to hold back the sob growing in his throat. He bent over with his hands on his knees trying to regain his composure. Eric laid a loving hand on his shoulder as he answered Rick's query, "This way, we've got some of these _people_ under guard by the trucks about a mile back from here. Figured it was far away enough to be safe from the fallout."

Rick nodded and turned to Michonne to grasp her hand again. He couldn't stand more than a few minutes without having skin to skin contact with her. The look on Aaron's face alone brought the bile of grief up into his throat threatening to kill the faint glimmer of shining hope that had begun just moments ago.

For Aaron it was almost too much as he remembered their first disgruntled dinner guest all those months ago. The "redneck with a heart of gold" he and Eric had dubbed him in their quiet pillow talk after they had convinced Daryl to replace Eric as a scout with Aaron. Back when Daryl had just begun to hope for a new life and a new way to rebuild. Aaron had been there when Daryl's rage had burst through on the night in the clearing and knew how wracked with guilt he felt over Glenn's death. The many missions they had been on together since made them unlikely friends but friends they were. _If Daryl's really gone_ , Aaron begin to shake his head violently in denial of this new harsh reality. Eric continued to rub his shoulder and began whispering quietly in Aaron's ear to calm him down somehow.

Aaron's sobs almost drowned it out. Rick almost missed it as he was focusing on Aaron and Eric's tender moment. Carol didn't miss anything though. She heard it the moment it hit the air and she began looking around her vicinity frantically. Michonne and Carl's ears had caught the distinct "Weeee wooo weeee" bird call whistle a second after Carol and they too began to look around them. Rick felt the change in Michonne through her palm resting in his as he too began to look toward the darkness.

"Y'all wanna help me out," Daryl called from a distance dragging a limping Gavin on his shoulders. "This fuckin' _Savior_ ain't a feather pillow. Motherfucker act like there's time to spare and shit."

 **A/N: Hey my wonderful lovelies. I had to drop a chapter before the MSF and I know it's a shorty doo** **wop but please forgive me. Some of y'all know that I've had a full couple of weeks so apologies for the delay. I have the final battle chapter and repercussions in the next few chapters 3 tops so I hope you enjoy this chapter before the firestorm of hell I plan to bring down... well additional firestorm hell to what I just rained down.**

 **Now onto your awesome reviews. Lord y'all sure do have some strong feelings for our boy D. I hope this makes up for it.**

 **guest (I'm assuming you're caught up by now and I hope I've allayed your former queasiness concerning She Who Must Not Be Named) HI! Hello! Welcome! Thank you for joining my little Kill The Bitch party!**

 **courtgirl26 admiration that Rick is going to show Queen Michonne... well let me just say I've got that chapter ready and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did but I gotta kill some leaning' ass fool first.**

 **jerkchickenz firefly-class atm0000 mannaRN I hope I did your boy proud in this last chapter.**

 **RBGzmom I KNOW RIGHT... Megan is there breathing up all the air in the world and I. Can't. Even. Also, side note THANK YOU FOR RETURNING ME TO MY GENERAL HOSPITAL DAYS! Continue with you bad self.**

 **flacagonzales Eeeerrrybody needs a wash after being in that garbage pit but you know Michonne's gots to take care of her man first.**

 **riyaboo12 DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne tigerwalk chezza3009 can08writer rumark24 y'all make me tear up something fierce when I read your sweet comments. Thank you for enjoying and I hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **sophiasown you can sing the Witch is Dead as much as you want. It will always make me smile knowing somewhere and blunt cut cyborg talking weirdo is probably being killed off in a fanfic somewhere so yes do you my fave. between you and my Sdub comewithnattah y'all give me straight life. My bills are paid and I am straight in awe of you two (with your double chapter dropping selves making me feel all kinds of unworthy) FULL DISCLOSURE: Daryl lives because of you two. #justsayin**

 **kendrawriter you are my inspiration and you are just an awesome brave superstar. xoxo**


	18. Chapter 18

**SEVENTEEN**

 _Hey Honey,_

 _I wish I could see your face as you're reading this. I just know you're about to die of shock because you never thought I'd remember to come back here… and you're probably rolling those pretty brown eyes and smiling at the same time. And you're probably crying a little bit too. I hope you're not but I know you are… if you're reading this and came back to see if I got your message. But listen baby girl, after this cry that you're having I want you to stop and never shed another tear because of me. I never want you to blame yourself for the monster I became. I wish my shitty memory would let me forget everything that I've done to make you leave. But most of all I wish I could forget the man I used to be. The funny thing is since this whole world of shit started all I do now is remember. I remember so much that I can't close my eyes without memories coming to me. I remember your face. I remember your laugh, and I remember ALL of the special and good days. Most of all I remember the fucking worse than hell days. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. From when the world started eating its own shit, to watching your sister die in front of us and I will remember for the rest of my miserable life what you did for me. For US to survive. I hope if you're reading this that you remember that I will always love you and I wanted you to see I am still the same man I used to be. The man you saw in Daryl when you set him free. I knew it was you by the way and it hurts me to my core that you thought I was so far gone that I'd bring you back to HIM. But Honey, let me tell you one thing, you doing that is what brought me back. It's what's driving me to do what I'm doing now. I'm hoping that you remember to have a little more faith in me and come back to this place and we'll see each other again. You were right. Being there isn't better than being dead and I'm trying to help make a place that is worth being alive. You didn't make me into this scarred monster. I can't even blame that piece of shit who burned me. This is all me because … I forgot. I forgot what being a man was and what it was like to be a man for you. But Sherry, you are the reason I'm making a fight of it now. You're the reason I can be who you thought I used to be._

 _Man, this is probably the longest I've ever even spoken to you and I've had to do it in a letter but there you have it. Turns out YOU were the cure for my shitty ass memory. I loved you then and I love you now. Please remember that._

 _D._

 _PS Save me a beer from the 6 Pack attached to this letter Honey. I'm going to need it._

"You ready for this," Maggie knocked on the car door startling Dwight from his reverie, "Sorry, didn't mean to pop up on ya like that, but we're just about ready to roll out."

"Nah… I mean yeah I'm about as ready as I'll ever be," Dwight sighed as he looked into Maggie's piercing green eyes, "It's now or never right? He's gotta suspect something since I haven't reported back that I've got Rick's 'collateral damage'".

Maggie gave a solemn nod of understanding before turning to look at the small fleet of rundown cars repurposed as minitanks with their reinforced corrugated steel armor shells and slots cut out for vision and gun holders. Subconsciously rubbing her stomach that housed her "little miracle", what she called _their_ baby in her head, she was quietly trying to assess the real collateral damage that this day would bring.

Dwight noticed the slight movement and still remained in awe of her… in awe of her entire family to be honest. Negan really had no clue of what he was up against when he made this woman The Widow. _Maybe he did,_ Dwight thought wryly, and maybe that's why he tried to crush her, along with Rick, from the face of this decrepit earth. Maybe Negan _did_ fathom that the moment he brought the bat down and actually stared into Rick's eyes that night in the forest. Maybe what he saw in those eyes was his _own_ demise. Maybe he heard his own death in the anguished screams of Maggie and the tortured cries of Sasha that night. Maybe that's why Negan now resorted to this last desperate effort to control the "Sheriff Fuck Boy Situation".

Whatever the maybes were, Dwight didn't really care. He was more interested in the certainties.

The certainty he saw in Maggie's eyes when Jesus returned from the Kingdom with the news that Michonne had kick started this war into high gear and Rick would certainly be rejoining them soon. The certainty he saw in each Hilltop resident as they marched up to the resident blacksmiths who proceeded to deck them each out with their own weaponry. The only uncertainty that remained was who would be returning home. Who would be able to sit back later and recount the glory days of the Great War of the Undead, like his grandfather used to regal him with tales of Vietnam.

One thing _he_ knew for certain was that today was D-Day. Death Day for a lot of humans that weren't already dead and lolling about the earth with a desire for human flesh as their only drive. He hoped that he did enough. That he helped enough. That some of the helpless among the Saviors would survive D-Day with the plans he put into place. D-Day for Negan was the only certainty he wanted for this day.

"You sure you want to do this?" Jesus appeared beside Maggie like the quiet stalker he was. Maggie gave him a withering look and he raised his hands in supplication. "I'm just asking the question Maggie. No need to shoot me with the squint of death."

Dwight chuckled, thinking that although they weren't blood related the entire Alexandria squad seemed to have inherited what he liked to call the "Grimes Squint n' Tilt" and was glad he wasn't the only one who thought that.

"I just have to see it," Maggie's country drawl seemed to grow stronger and more aggressive as she continued, "I have to look him in the eyes as he dies. Have him _know_ exactly who he was fuckin' with when he took… "she paused, a myriad of emotions running through her and showing each on her face. "I need him to _see me._ See me watch his world crumble around him and then watch him die. Like Glenn did."

Jesus grimaced from the coldness in Maggie voice. He hoped that once Negan was put down like the tyrant he was that Maggie would be satisfied. That the child within her would grow not from the vengeful hate and hurt festering in Maggie but from the love that brought the baby into being in the first place.

He put his hand on Maggie's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "I know Maggie, but will you at least _try_ not to charge in head first and avoid getting too close to the front?"

She gave another subconscious rub of her tummy and smirked, "Jesus, this baby's been waitin' for this day. Hasn't even made me throw up once and I only ate 2 pies today. I'll tell you like I told Rick, the second trimester is the one that the baby starts to wiggles its toes, distinguish my voice and develops it's war cry in the womb!"

Jesus and Dwight both gave a derisive chuckle, "Oh really? What chapter in 'What to Expect When You're Expecting?' is that Mags?"

Without missing a beat, "Chapter 12: Your Baby is the size of a kumquat, Cognitive Skills and Guerilla War Tactics. Come close Jesus and you can hear him holler, "Get 'im Mama! Get 'im where the sun don't shine!" Maggie grabbed her beanie wearing friend by the ear and held it to her stomach.

All three burst with brief laughter for the well needed moment of levity. Maggie needed it most of all as she did remember that today wasn't just a fight for her but a fight for the future that was growing with her. The thought made her eyes well with tears she couldn't let fall yet, and Jesus knew that he was worrying for nothing. There was warmth in her green eyes and most of all there was still humanity there too.

"Alright y'all. Let's get a move on or we're gonna miss Michonne and Rick's fireworks!" She yelled to the finally assembled group. "Move over Dwight, I'm drivin'".

"Of course you are," Dwight shook his head as he slid over only to see Jesus coming in on the passenger side. Good thing there was room in the old pick-up truck front seat. Truth be told, he almost didn't care that they had him riding bitch to the war front. It would be worth it because he too needed Negan to _see him_. And he _needed_ to watch the bastard die just as much as the next person. With three short, blaring honks Maggie signaled the caravan of reinforced car-tanks to start their engines and they made their way out of Hilltop's gates.

 **EIGHTEEN**

"Man, I cain't breathe…" Daryl struggled through Rick's bear hug.

"Shut up and take it," Rick said hoarsely as his embrace tightened around his brother, "I never thought I'd see the day I'd be happy to smell you this close."

Laughing through tears, Carl joined in the man hug while Michonne stood aside shaking her head and smiling her first smile in a month of Sundays. All of her men had made it through and she was fleetingly happy. Happy to have this minor victory over the pall of death that tried to conquer them every which way it could.

Daryl took the hug for as long as his normally disgruntled self could before getting uncomfortable. Gestures of normal human affection like hugs weren't exactly a part of his repertoire. That was before his escape from that hell hole dubbed the Sanctuary and seeing his family for the first time at Hilltop, though. Since then he'd managed to get used to accepting simple gestures of affection from the people who meant the most to him. Grateful that they still wanted him around, much less embrace him since that night he got Glenn killed. The acceptance from all of them, especially Maggie, helped assuage his guilt in some small way. Not enough that he didn't have waking nightmares and questioned his blunt force actions of that night every hour of every day since but still… if they were giving out hugs then he forced himself to take them.

It took him a moment before his eyes could find _her_ , but as he could feel the heat coming from the grey eyes boring into him he began to loosen his grip on Rick and Carl. Both Grimes men stepped slowly away to give the two quiet riot twins what they were sure would be either a sublimely awkward romantic moment or …

 _SMACK_

Carol took all of three seconds to span the short distance between her and Daryl before planting her feet and delivering the best right hook this side of the apocalypse to his eye.

 _Shiiiiiitttt_ , Rick thought, his eyes widening in amusement as he watched a stunned Daryl stumble back from the blow. Rick had to give it to him though, he didn't falter. The numerous TKO jokes that were piling up in the back of his mind at the sight would have to just die. Or maybe give way to amusing nicknames for Carol. "Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A .45 Caliber Bullet" Pelletier was already first on the list and being stored in his vault for later.

Aaron stood awkwardly wiping the previously sorrowful but now joyous tears from his face staring at the Mexican standoff happening in front him. Eric, still rubbing on his man's back and beaming at the surprising turn of events that brought them back their gruff biker boy. "Sooo are they gonna kiss or…" he whispered to his love trying not to break the mood but Carol was nothing if not efficient.

"So now that we've cleared that up," panting with the exertion and the relief that had washed over her the moment she heard the whistle, "you, Tall, Stank and Silent… you want to show us the way to the front of this god forsaken place so we can get the hell out of here?" The man in question was still staring perplexingly at the scene. He knew that he was being addressed but he was still trying to figure out whether the man who suddenly appeared out of the burning pit was friend or foe.

"Yeaahhhh… I wouldn't hurt yourself tryin' to figure them two out," Rick advised the man, "Better men than you have tried _and failed…_ so best you continue to show us the way," turning to once again take Michonne's small but strong hand into his. He turned to get Carl in his circle but his son had already gone to Gavin to help him up from where Daryl had unceremoniously dropped him.

"Can you walk?" Carl asked as he maneuvered Gavin into an upright position, "You can lean on me if you need to." Gavin looked into the young man's one blue eye and was overcome with gratefulness. _He fucking made it out. I played a part of him getting out_ , was all that ran through Gavin's head. He finally felt like he had done something right for a change. He had been witness to this groups seeming downfall and now he'd be damned if he wasn't going to be a witness to their rise from the actual ashes.

"Yeah… I can make it kid… I mean. Carl," he winced as Carl unconsciously (or consciously) tightened his grip on the man's assuredly broken ribs, "I can walk Carl." Carl gave him a small nod and helped him to his feet. Eric came to Gavin's other side and offered his shoulder to Gavin as Aaron made his way over to the statue that was Daryl still recovering from the Carol smackdown. His breath had calmed from the panting that the adrenaline in his blood had caused but his heart was still beating a harsh staccato under his vest. He gave a side-eyed squint over to Aaron as he timidly approached him like an amateur lion tamer approaching a beast in the wild.

"Erm… Good to see you made it out," Aaron said closing the small distance between him and Daryl, "You… uh… ok?"

Daryl grunted and took a deep cleansing breath, "Women," he spat and began to follow the group ahead.

"Yeahhh… um, not my wheel house," Aaron heard Eric snicker at his reply, "But… I'm thinking that _that…_ is just _that_ woman." Then Aaron witnessed the unicorn that was the smile on Daryl's face. He almost expected a glitter rainbow to fall down from the sky when he heard an actual fucking chuckle erupt from Daryl's mouth.

"Yeah. You right about that," Daryl muttered in between what could only be described as a giggle but sounded more like inward choking.

A few feet ahead, Rick and Michonne were exchanging side long glances at each other with small smiles on their faces. Rick's thumb was busy making slow circles in the palm of her hand as they walked, making sure she knew exactly where his head (both of his heads) were at in the moment. She could only shake her head at this man's ability to turn the temperature around them up fifty degrees and keep a steady straight walk with what she knew was a growing hard on. His thumb only heightening the tension growing in her core as she briefly thought about where she really wanted those small circular motions focused. She knew they had to focus but her kegel muscles were distracting her with each rotation of his thumb.

 _I'm going to need to find a hard tree to slam her up against … soon,_ Rick could barely contain his glee as he felt Michonne's hand tighten in his. He knew what he was doing to her but damn if she only knew what _she_ had done to him since the moment she appeared in his vision out of the smoke wielding her fierce sword. If there wasn't a bitch that needed killin' at the time he would have pushed into her hard and fast and let the fire burn around them until she fully understood the power her love had over him. Hell, he was already in his boxers at the time but nooo, the trash needed taking out first. Michonne gave him another squeeze and he smirked at her now hooded eyes. "Focus", she whispered huskily, not sure if she was advising herself or him. In one look he told her silently, _oh baby, I'm focused, trust me… so focused right now,_ while he said in his out loud voice, "How much farther we got?"

"Roland. I am called Roland" the man said, surprising himself along with everyone else that he had a name, "and it is not far now to the front. From there you will have to lead me." Veering mostly to his left he continued on the rest of the way, contemplating all that was gone on this day. In one fell swoop he had lost his home, his leader and in a few minutes, he may even lose his sad life if he could go by the bodies of his former companions they had passed along the way. He could only trust that it would be quick like Brion's headless corpse but he needed to make sure that his people had survived. Once he saw them then he could think about his almost assured death.

"Now you lead," he said to Michonne who seemed to have acquired a light sheen of sweat even though they hadn't been moving at a strenuous pace since they had cleared most of the perimeter.

Michonne gave a light cough to clear her throat and gave a warning stare to Rick, "Ok, Ezekiel and Rosita should be about a half a mile forward."

"Yeah," Aaron concurred, "They're with the trucks and the rest of our people."

"Trucks?" Rick turned to Aaron questioningly, "He brought the trucks too?"

This time it was Carol's time to smile, "Yup all packed and ready for the big show. Just needed to pick up a few things along the way… namely You."

Finally, Rick's focus was turned and his smile showed every straight tooth that his woman's vigorous dental hygiene routine had instilled in him.

"Well alright then let's get this show on the road," following Michonne's lead as they made their way into the forest.

 **A/N: Hey there y'all! Happy New Year and I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday season. I am truly sorry for the delay and I hope this double whammy is worth the wait for you. I have no excuse but the reason for the season had me so busy and honestly I didn't really have the time to concentrate fully on this. Also, man listen, fuck that Midseason Finale. You hear me in the back. FUCK. THAT. MIDSEASON FINALE. I'm saying it here and now that in no story of mine (btw I've got 1 AU, 1 Multichapter Prompt and 1 One Shot prompt coming so stay tuned) will Carl get so much as a sniffle. I'm still baffled that this is where the show went and I'm still seriously contemplating not watching the premier much less the rest of the seasons. If not for the wonderful writings of comewithnattah fikfreak sophiasown tigerwalk kendrawriter nyese3529 semul chezza3009 siancore thematsaidwelcome RBGzMom can08 and countless other awesome and dedicated Richonne fanfiction writers I would be seriously lacking in inspiration. But because of them and your amazing support, reviews, faves I'm back in a good place. I'm not saying I ain't gonna be busy in this new year but I am going to wrap this story up. Here is where I usually address all my beloved reviews but I'm gonna do that on my next update. So here is where I tell y'all love you all and I want you to have the most amazing 2018 that you deserve.**

 **xoxo**

 **Matti's Mommy**


	19. Chapter 19

**NINETEEN**

"SALUTAAATIONS COMRADES," Ezekiel boomed as he watched the bedraggled group make their way towards him. His eyes anxiously scanned the rag tag group making the slow march through the clearing for one silver pixie cut in particular. His smile widened a few more inches when he saw her trudging determinedly slightly behind Michonne and Rick. It dimmed minutely as he saw the grungy, weirdly smiling figure of Daryl a few paltry steps behind her. He recovered quickly though, because from what he could see every one of the group was accounted for and that _was_ something to be content about. He decided that he would worry about the "angry friend with a cause" situation… if he even needed to worry… when the time came.

Rosita looked up from her position standing guard over the small group of refugees that managed to get out with them to see Michonne and Rick's hands still entwined. She shook her head with a chuckle. _Always got your shit together, mi hermana,_ she thought proudly as she watched them move to greet Ezekiel.

"My man," Ezekiel dropped the regal persona briefly to pull Rick into a brotherly handshake and half hug, "I see you managed to join us for the festivities."

"Weellll, my lady wouldn't really allow me to miss this," Rick answered, giving Michonne another loaded look as she rolled her eyes, "…and I couldn't let the Kingdom have all the fun. Or take all the credit," he joked back.

Much as the man's theatrics grated on Rick's nerves most of the time, he was truly happy to see the "Kang" and was very grateful for the alliance they had managed to form. Underneath all the hoopla, Rick saw that the man was indeed a good leader and truly cared about the future of his own fledgling community. Rick knew it was no small feat for him to have his people added to their makeshift army. Jokes of parties and festivities aside, both men knew that lives would be lost this day and sacrifices from both communities would be felt far into the future. Both leaders took a moment to acknowledge that fact, silently understanding the weight of the rest of the day ahead of them.

"Y'all done? Had your man moment?" Carol had stepped up to King Ezekiel's side and gestured to Roland, "This man wants to make sure his people are ok… and I think we could all use some of that water I know we have in one of them trucks."

At the mention of water six pairs of eyes shot over to Carol and King Ezekiel. Roland's immediately downturned as he could not hope that these people would share what little water he thought they had with the likes of him. Guilty by association, he thought his chances of even a sip for the "Betrayers" being bestowed upon him were very slim.

"Of course, my shield maiden," the King said, earning himself another grimace from Daryl, "Jerry! Bring forth the containers to quench our companions mighty thirst and wash the smoke from their scorched throats!"

The friendly giant repositioned his war axe back onto his shoulder and ambled from his king's side to a battered SUV, where he popped the tailgate and proceeded to collect a few plastic gallon bottles. Eric had followed to assist, as he suspected from the smell wafting off of them they would need some more water to wash some of the soot that covered them all.

"Here you go," Jerry nudged one of the bottles towards a surprised Roland. He stared at the friendly grin of Jerry's sweet face and was simply at a loss for what to do. He hadn't seen such a wealth of clean water in god knows how long and here they were just giving it to him? Did the man not know he was an enemy? "Dude… _take it_ , they're heavy," Jerry practically shoved the bottle into his hands and went off to hand the rest off to the rest of the group. Roland took the bottle, reluctantly giving sidelong glances to everyone around him. He tentatively popped the lid and took a small sip, awaiting the moment when one of them would snatch the bottle from his grasp. Once he realized no one was paying attention to him in the slightest, he took a few more precious gulps.

Michonne took the four bottles from Jerry,gave two to Rick, and placed the remaining two on the ground. Surprising Rick, she made a mad dash to the old Cadillac parked behind them in the caravan that she and Rosita started this journey in. Opening the passenger side door, Michonne bent over to search under the seat, simultaneously giving Rick a minor heart palpitation and tighter crotch size at the sight of her in that familiar position. After a moment of maneuvering, he managed to get hold of the package she had stuffed there. With a victorious yelp, she headed back to Rick who had a befuddled but fully tickled expression on his face.

"Here," she handed it over to Rick, "I've been waiting for a long time to give these to you. I'm glad I remembered to bring them with me." Rick couldn't help but chuckle as he unfolded the "package" to reveal a brand-new pair of Lee jeans, tags still on, that were an exact replica of his well-worn standard issue "Rick Grimes Look Uniform" jeans.

"When in the hell did ya find time to shop 'Chonne," he shook his head as he laughed, "they even have the tags on 'em?"

"A few runs back, after your fight with that trash-o-matic Wilson thing. After I sewed them raggedy old jeans back I made myself a promise with every stitch that I was going to find you a new pair that was the same brand and style," she said with so much nonchalance that it almost brought tears to Rick's indigo tinted eyes. He had other trousers and jeans that he could have worn but there was something about his old pair that he just couldn't give up. She probably saw going out of her way to sew them up for him as a small thing,but Rick was eternally grateful for even that. And then his woman went that step further, knowing there was something about those jeans that he loved. She went out and found a newer, cleaner and best of all not ripped to shreds pair of his beloved jeans.

 _Fuck, I love her,_ he thought fiercely to himself for about the hundredth time that day. _Fuck, I need to show her..._ the desire seized hold of him as he watched her take a few large gulps from her bottle. A small trickle of water worked its way from the corner of her mouth down to her clavicle, pretty much sealing his fate.

"Hey Kang, give me the breakdown of what we got," he reluctantly turned around to Ezekiel, "We ready to move onto the next stage?" Little did the King know Rick was really making a time management assessment while he ran off the checklist of the trucks with their deadly cargo, the munitions and manpower they had brought with them. _Gotdamnit, we don't have enough time,_ he thought as he listened as King Ezekiel dash his lurid hopes to the wayside. The overly theatrical man informed him that Jesus and Maggie were probably on their way to rendezvous with them at "this very moment."

Michonne had taken _that very moment_ to poor the second bottle over her head, dousing herself to get rid of the soot and smoke tinged stench from her body. The full gallon of water ran down over her face and fell in thick, shimmering rivulets across her shoulders to wet her tank top. _Fuuuuckk, what she do that_ **shit** _for,_ Rick looked on in amazement along with the rest of the assorted company. Even Aaron had a hetero confused moment;he watched as she bent over to wring the water from her long locs and in what seemed like slow motion flung herself upright. Water splashed into Rick's face from her sudden motion as he stood dumbfounded at her righteous beauty.

"What…?" Michonne looked around at the transfixed group of men staring at her. Rick also took immediate notice as his gaze took in the awestruck men that seemed to gravitate closer to him … and his woman. His eyes narrowed into a squint and his head began to tilt slightly to the left. Before some shit could pop off, Carl cleared his throat, giving a clear signal to everyone around that the show was indeed over.

Carol and Rosita merely shook their heads at the spectacle all the testosterone in the forest had made. Eric gave Aaron a hard pinch to his side and whispered, "We're not going to mention whatever _that_ was … ever." Aaron gave his best puppy dog look to his man, "Senior moment babe… that's the only way I can explain _that,"_ as they made their way over to the trash refugees hurriedly. "Uh huh… whatever," giving Aaron a very adorable side eye, "let's get these people together like the good GAY couple we are and I'll _think_ about getting a tan after this war."

Rick, upon seeing the small crowd disperse, quickly gathered his two bottles in one hand and grabbed Michonne's hand in the other. He walked them over to the other side of one of the trucks and once he was certain he had decent cover he unbuttoned his shirt and poured himself his own DIY shower from one of the bottles. He then proceeded to rid himself of the horrible borrowed pants he took off a dead man.

"Are you about to go full commando?" Michonne asked while she watched him remove his boxers. She had picked up the other full bottle and began to pour it down his chest. She watched as the water ran down past his pectorals and down to his navel, following the small stream towards his Adonis belt to her _other_ favorite patch of hair this side of the apocalypse. The cool water did little to subdue the swollen length of his manhood that hadn't dissipated since they started their trudge from the junkyard world. It really couldn't have been tamed after Michonne's water dramatics and Rick had no will to hide it anyway. _There goes those damn kegels,_ she thought as she watched his cock twitch toward her like it sensed it's home was near. She turned him so she could rinse his back stupidly thinking that the sight of his adorable dimpled butt would assuage her heated thoughts. It was almost disturbing how wrong she was on that account as her eyes followed the streams she created running down his muscled back to his gluteal cleft. Rick smirked as he heard he felt her breathe out sharply onto his back. She began to rub the water down his back in an effort to occupy her hands to keep from grabbing his ass and squeezing.

"Well, I think I oughtta babe," he drawled in the way he knew she loved. "Unless you thought to bring me a spare pair of underwear too? Besides…" he swiftly turned, grabbed both her hands and brought them down to his now fully erect cock, molding both to his girth. He started sliding them slowly up and down, grunting: "It's easy access… for stuff and thangs." He let out a small groan as she tightened her grip and let a small moan escape from her throat.

"Oh…really," she whispered as she leaned in to lick a certain spot behind his ear, "Stuff," lick, "and thangs" lick and then a soft suckle. "I don't think we have time for that babe," as she nibbled on his ear lobe while continuing her languid stroke of his cock. Rick let out a low growl once he felt her tongue on his ear. He grabbed her hips and swiftly maneuvered her back towards the side of the truck.

"Looks like you're trying to make time baby," he said huskily as he ground his hard member into her center, seeking relief with a bit of friction. He took a surreptitious glance around to make sure they didn't have an audience as he undid the top button of her jeans and dipped his hand into her panties, meeting the welcome slickness of her slit.

He found her already swollen clit and made slow circular motions over the hood of the small awakened bud.

"That moist little button feels like it _needs_ me to make some time." Michonne could barely make her mind focus on maintaining her rhythmic stroke with Rick's throaty moans in her ear and his fingers increasing the pressure as he stroked her clit. When she felt the first dribble of precum slide down her fingers she reluctantly released her grasp.

"Baby… I want… fuuuck…" she moaned as Rick had relinquished his plunder on her clit, only to find his way down her wet slit to the source of her power. He slid his index and middle finger right in and began to make slow pumps into her. "No .. ungh.. babe, we don't… have…!" She hissed futilely, feeling her abdomen start to tighten.

"We don't have what Chonne?" Rick curved his fingers upward, seeking that special place, knowing she was going to try to slow them down. He wasn't here for that at all.

"Time… fuck… _harder baby_ … fuuuckk," her back now pressed against the cold hard side of the truck and she was grinding in time to every thrust of his strong fingers, "we… don't have … _mmmmmmm_ …!"

 _Oh we most certainly the fuck do baby,_ Rick knew he found the cherished spot when Michonne's arguments halted and her eyes squeezed shut as she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out. He had had about as much as he could take watching her rise into ecstasy and his other hand rose to her throat and brought her face to his. "We have just… enough… time" He accentuated each pause with thrusts and his thumb pressed into her now fully engorged clit. "Time for you to come baby… come for me… make me proud baby and fuckin' come all over me." He brought her mouth to his and swallowed her strained grunts of pleasure while his rock hard dick continued its search for friction against her jeans. He was probably going to get some kind of jean burn but he didn't give a damn as he felt her tightening around his fingers. He wanted to give her this. He _needed_ to give her a little bit of heaven so she would know he was worth all the trouble she went through for him. If it meant a little sore dick then fine. He'd suffer though that and more just to see the look she had on her face right then as he released her tongue with a slow sucking pop. He watched as she slowly rode out the wave of her orgasm and then slowly slid his fingers out of her... only to slide them into his mouth to clean them off.

"See," he said as he licked his fingers down to the webbing, not wanting to miss a bit of her nectar. "We had time for that baby." He bent to retrieve the bottle of water and poured the rest of it down his front and gave his cock a couple of rugged strokes. With a smooth smile he pulled on his new jeans and tucked his still hard cock down and to the side, trying to tame it into behaving as Michonne slowly regained her senses to re-button her pants. He slid his denim shirt on and began buttoning it as he gave her a self satisfied smirk. She would have rolled her eyes but as she was resigning herself to having to travel with soaked panties it seemed too much of an effort to be snarky.

As they made their way back around the truck, Carl was conspicuously farther away from them than before and pretty much everyone avoided looking at them, acting preoccupied with whatever novelty was closest to them. Carol, the only brave soul of the bunch, looked directly at them and rolled her eyes before looking to the king to detail the next steps. Rick looked at the small force in front of him and the old Chevy Silverado pickup truck caught his eye. He and Michonne looked at each other and nodded. That would be their ride into the war zone. After conferring with King Ezekiel and assigning a couple of the Kingdom members to escort the refugee POW's to the Kingdom, everyone started to make moves to begin the journey out.

"I want to come too," Gavin asked, in an almost childlike plea, to accompany Carl to the battle.

"Man, you could barely walk here…" Daryl retorted. "Ain't nobody got time to be carryin' you and a gun. Besides… a lot of people are gonna die today. Some of ours maybe, but definitely some of _yours_. Best you not be in the way of all'a that. Know what I'm sayin'?"

Gavin really couldn't argue with that reasoning, but he wanted to be there for Carl at least.

"I can still aim and shoot a fucking gun... And I know who I'll be aiming for," he gave his last desperate plea. "Believe me, I know who enjoyed this life more than they should've and I won't let you down. Let me come!"

Carl and Daryl looked to each other. Understanding that Gavin would probably kill himself trying to follow them anyway, they relented.

"Fine. But one stumble and I'm leaving your ass where you fall," Daryl's tone brooked no room for further argument. Gavin nodded and tried to straighten his stance as he walked with Carl and Daryl towards the cars.

"I will fight with you. Honor original deal," Roland said quietly, surprising Rick and company. "Also so when this is over, you remember one of us fought with you… to ensure the rest will not be harmed."

"We are not that kind of unscrupulous beings, sir," King Ezekiel snarled, "We would do no harm to _unarmed_ , defenseless prisoners. Such is not _our_ way," clearly insulted by the man's insinuations.

"We have never encountered such… mercy," Roland stuttered forth, "Not since the fall of the world. I will still fight. To honor the original deal." Rick thought it over and looked over to Michonne and the rest of the task force.

"Well we could always use more manpower," Rick finally said, "But know this - I smell a rat, I'll kill a rat." With that he turned to walk toward the pick-up truck with Michonne by his side. Everyone took that as the signal to get to their vehicles and roll out.

Gavin, making the mistake of thinking Carl would ride with his parents, moved in the same direction as Rick only to be softly halted by Daryl's hand to his gut holding him back, followed by Carl's restraining hold on his shoulder.

"Erm.. nah… you're not gonna want to be in that ride," Daryl chuckled, "It's gonna be a little to crowded in that one." Gavin looked at Carl confused, as the pick up looked like it could definitely hold at least five more passengers. Then he caught sight of Rick opening the passenger door for Michonne watching her as she situated herself before walking to the driver's side. From the look in the man's eyes alone, he got an inkling of what Daryl was trying to tell him.

"Yeaahhh… we're gonna ride with Rosita," Carl was resolute in his efforts to ignore his parents and let Gavin lean on him as they made their way to the beat-up Cadillac. Daryl looked around,saw Carol get into one of the trucks beside Ezekiel and spat to the side of the road. _Don't matter no way. Wasn't expecting her to ride on the back on my bike anyhow,_ he sulked to himself, knowing damn well that's exactly what he was expecting.

Rick got in and tried to make himself comfortable behind the wheel. As comfortable as his downright turbulent cock would let him. He started the car and lead the large procession of cars and trucks towards the point of no return. _Just a couple more hours and this will be over,_ Rick was not going to be overly cocky but he knew that this day would be the end of this madness one way or another. He wanted it to end with him standing over Negan's bloodied corpse and one way or another that's what he was going to make happen. _We're the ones who live_ , she said _he'd_ said that and he would make that happen for her because of her belief in him. Because of her strength, he was here to fight for their future, their children's future and the future of the communities they lead into this war. He was so proud to have her by his side that there was only one way this day had to end. He pulled her wrist to his lips and gave it light kiss. Yes, he would do this for her and then … he would do so much more for her. Just the thought made his rage at Negan indignant. If it weren't for having to finish his kill list, he'd be settling into her warm, tight walls right now all snug and happy. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he adjusted himself a bit in his seat feeling his dick twitch again in anticipation. Not that he need another reason to gut that piece of shit but damn, he had passed at least fourteen perfectly sturdy looking trees on what he hoped was his final journey to the so-called Sanctuary.

 **A/N: Hey my lovelies! Now before you start with "yo! I asked for a tree episode... where is my hard tree with leaves shaking off from the many hard thrusts of a certain apocalypse sherriff. Matti's Mommy you promised..." Ok well, yeah... I did but this chapter went a little left of that because ... like I told my beta, I get kinda lost in my characters thought process and then it didn't flow and couldn't exactly go straight to "boom - hard tree insert hard piece in moist center.." amberjoy you were not the only one trust! :-) But... I hope you like what I gave you so far.**

 **Also lordt! I did NOT mean to scare y'all with Michonne's sheen and little cough. I was meaning to show how hot Rick had made her during their little walk. I'm so sorry y'all! I would NEVER hurt not a one of my fam. Not physically at least... a splinter here or some rug burn there maybe but sickness... nah I rebuke the thought.**

 **Ok so now to your awesome reviews:**

 **jerkchickenz totally over the MSF... Not today satan. Not today. Lord I just want to dip Daryl AND NR in a tub of chlorox and febreeze fabric softener... for real for real.**

 **mtownrichonner RGBzMom firefly-class flacagonzales tigerwalk33 harbingeraz can08 Big hug to y'all sticking with me and enjoying the update. Thank you!**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne (have I ever mentioned that I love your name. I see Hunger Games and Richonne in it and I love it. Don't know who the other show is but I'm sure it's awesome. As awesome as your review! Now you got me thinking about a part 2 but I've got an AU planned and I have a boss lady asking for prompt due in about a week so I'll keep that idea on the back burner... for just a little bit but... I got you mmmkaay?**

 **sophiasown yes girl Jadis is dead. Say it again for the people in the back LOL! Your reviews give my life so I'll just say THAT again. and yes I know... you want your tree eps. You already know what gif I got for you ok.**

 **lovelyshmi Hi! Hello! Welcome! Thank you so much for reading my little story. I hope you're caught up and yes she needed to step off!**

 **Chezza3009 Michonne knows her man like the back of her hand... and the back of his for that matter! I love their silent conversations and the utter thirst they have for each other. Thank you for seeing that! x**

 **comewithnattah you already know... I be refreshing like a crazy person to see your indepth reveiws. The make me laugh and cry because they're so awesome!**

 **rumark24 wow what an awesome review. I'm glad you and other readers like courtgirl26 and zeejack have a little bit of sympathy for my ex saviors. I'm trying to give everyone a humanity and I'm glad that I made you sorta kinda like them. I'm mad Eric is dead in the series so I like to make sure that I keep my faves alive and well and snarky.**

 **minton131 thank you! Your review really touched me and happy to be a part of what gives you comfort after that shitshow of an MSF.**


	20. Chapter 20

**TWENTY**

" _Now what's that smile for?" Rick was still so giddy about convincing Michonne_ **for just a little more** _time that he couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she drove them down the lonely road. He thought she'd have fought him more on him extending their gun run so anything he could do to keep that secret smile that he knew he was in rare company to witness, he'd do._

 _They'd only been out for two days, on the hunt for the weapons for that weird group of stilted talking scavengers who kidnapped Gabriel. Not to mention their even weirder leader, who he was hard pressed not to personally introduce to the business end of his Colt Python after she had thrown him literally into the pit of garbage hell to do battle to with whatever the fuck they called that spike monster. They wanted guns and Rick needed manpower..._ _ **dispensable**_ _manpower as far as he was concerned. Kill two birds with one grenade._

 _Two days that had turned up nothing but two guns, a couple of dented cans of beans and some football jerseys, but they were the best two days Rick had had since the world went and ended. Two days of just him and his beautiful warrior woman. By themselves. No precocious daughter to barge in on them demanding her own time with the only mother she has ever known. No overzealous teenager to try to strategize with and take up more of Michonne's time. Most importantly, two days of getting to make love whenever the thought crossed their minds. Two days of being wrapped up in a cocoon of her warm embrace. Two days where he could escape by plunging into her moist heated center and forget about the rivers of blood running around in his head and the faces of the dead that haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. He needed more of that and thanked god she gave in to just a little bit more time before returning to the world of death that surrounded them._

" _What? I really like these pretzels," Michonne was coy with her reply as she took another piece of the salty treat into her mouth. "Mmmm…yum. I'm thinking of not sharing the rest of the bag with you."_

 _Rick gave his giggling woman a sardonic side-eye. "Oh so that's how it is? Not even one pretzel for me," he gave her his full pout. His woman's clear enjoyment of food always amused Rick even before they were together. The way she would savor every bite, be it a pilfered protein bar or a spoonful of beans at the side of the road, each mouthful would see a heavenward roll of the eyes and a muffled sound of appreciation as if her taste buds were having the best time of their lives. No longer did Rick have to imagine what it would feel like to have her tongue savor him the way she did a spoonful of oatmeal. No longer did he have to avert his eyes and tame the tumultuous jolt of heat that took hold of the lower half of his body. Now he knew that it wasn't just food that could get her to roll her eyes back but he could get that very same reaction with just a slip of his tongue here or slip of a couple of curved digits there. His taste buds knew the kind of enjoyment that the sweet honey of his woman could provide. Actually, his taste buds were kinda sad at the moment and kinda jealous of a stale ass pretzel._

 _She had taken another one of those salty bastards and wasn't even chewing on it. Just put it halfway into her mouth and appeared to be sucking the salt off as she used her tongue to move it from one side of her luscious lips to the other with a salacious "Mmmmmm."_

" _So that's what does it for ya, huh," Rick's drawl went a bit deeper and into a raspy whisper, "That's what gets ya wet," he'd reached and used his thumb to follow the path of the marauding pretzel on her plush bottom lip. Ever the pragmatist, Michonne knew what he was up to as soon as she put that last treat in her mouth and merely stopped it's progress to suck it in entirely in her mouth to chew and swallow. "Hmm, well, it's not the_ _ **only**_ _thing," she gave a small smile, keeping her eyes on the road in anticipation of what his next move would be. Then, just to toy with him a little bit, she sucked his roving thumb into her mouth and gave it a soft. pulsing suck._

 _Rick continued to let his thumb have all the fun as his growing bulge rose in attention. "Oh, yeah? Want to tell me about some of the other things," Rick asked as his other unoccupied hand began to stroke his extending appendage gently, almost in comfort telling it it's time would soon come. Michonne let his thumb go with a moist pop, "Why do I have to tell you? Don't you know Sheriff?" Her voice matched his on the sultry scale, challenging him._

 _Challenge noted and accepted. Rick continued his stroke increasing the pressure so he had a bit more friction, finally turning away his hooded stare at his lover's lips to spot a clear path on the side of the road ahead. "Pull over on the left Michonne," the way he said her name sent shivers down her spine and left her with no doubt that he knew_ _ **exactly**_ _what other thangs got her wet. "That clearing. Right there" he growled in his most authoritative voice, his tone leaving no room for questions or argument. Michonne did as he said, slowing the vehicle down and maneuvering her way into the forest while she awaited his next directive. The anticipation only seemed to build in her core as she stole a quick glance over to see Rick giving her his deadliest ice cobalt stare, still stroking himself like he knew she was going to look over at him. He did know actually, because he knew his woman and he knew that she was fooling nobody, pretending to not know where this was going. "Here._ _ **Stop right here**_ _," he said as he held her gaze. Michonne's foot hit the brakes and she put the van in park. She took the key out of the ignition and simply waited while her breath sped up making her chest rise and fall in a rapid beat._

 _Rick watched her beautiful breasts as they rose and fell and licked his lips. It was some sort of torture he was putting himself through as his jeans tightened unbearably but this was the game and they played it well. The payoff was always worth it. He watched her as her eyes broke from his and lowered to his rough hand that continued to outline his fully engorged cock, "Are you wet now Michonne?" As if he had to ask, "Do I have one of those thangs that make you wet?" He put the thumb in his mouth and sucked on it, poor thing it was getting cold and missed it's previous home in her plush mouth, and he brought the moistened digit to the fast pulse beating on the side of her graceful throat and made tiny circles on it. The feel of his moisture on her neck threw Michonne's kegel muscles into high gear as she pulsed out no small amount of her own moisture into her panties._

 _Enough of this, Rick couldn't take the eye fucking anymore. He needed the real thing and he knew exactly how he wanted it. "Get out of the van Michonne." His gravelly voice was barely above a whisper. "Stand over there by that tree. Right over there."_

I hope I picked a good one _, Rick thought as he adjusted his aching bulge and made his way out of the van. Didn't really matter to him if the damn tree rained every branch, acorn and leaf down on him, nothing was going stop what he had in mind for Michonne. As he rounded the front of the vehicle his breath hitched at seeing his warrior woman standing against the chosen sacrificial tree with her head down and hands clasped downward in front of her as if in prayer. Yeah, you better pray baby, was all Rick could think as he stalked his way over to her already unbuckling his holster belt as he went. Michonne's own breathing picked up as she felt his approach. She was actually trying to meditate calm into her turbulent senses. She knew if she lifted her soft brown eyes she'd meet the blue fire of her indomitable man and there would be no hope of recovering from the deluge that would happen in her jeans. She heard his belt buckle make a subdued clinking as it fell next to where she had placed her katana. She didn't have a moment to take another breath, however, before he was on her. No chance to take the second hasty breath before he swallowed it in a rough and delicious kiss, holding her head still by the neck while his other hand was busy unbuttoning her jeans._

 _Rick was voracious in his want for this woman. He needed her moisture all over his hand, he needed every breath he took from her. "So what else gets you wet Michonne?" he growled, even as his lips barely left hers. "Tell me why you're so wet right now." His fingers had reached their destination as his index and middle finger just bypassed her swollen clit and went straight for home in her gushing canal. His tongue went to where his thumb was making small intimate circles on her pulse. "Tell me."_

 _Michonne could barely form a single word much less a cohesive thought in response to him with his curved fingers already deep inside her, grazing the delectable spot that only he was able to reach._

 _"You're not gonna answer me babe," he rubbed her nose with his, then captured her bottom lip and gave it a small bite before using his tongue to soothe it. "Naughty", he made a derisive smirk. She responded wordlessly by making her hands busy unbuttoning his well-worn jeans and palming his twitching manhood. Rick groaned at the contact as his tongue battled with hers and his fingers continued to drown doing battle to her core._

" _Is that it?" he rasped as her grip on him tightened and her steady stroke continued, "Is it my cock that's making you wet baby? Come on 'Chonne, I wanna see those pretty lips tell me." Her heart and stroke skipped a few beats and she felt the pressure building up from her center straight down to her ever tightening muscles around his fingers. His voice had always done things to her, even before that fateful night on their couch. Before then however, she could chalk it up to the arid drought that was her sex life post apocalypse. Now, she could never ignore the physiological effects of just his hoarse whisper of her name. And when he brought out the authoritative rasp of demands that were part and parcel of Rick in beast mode she may as well just battened down the hatches of her soul and prepare to have ruined panties, ruined jeans, and surrender to the eventual rug burn, soft bite marks and whatever other punishment that added to the love battle scars that patch-worked her body._

" _Yessssss… baby," she hissed out as he sped up his fingers that were now making obscenely wet sucking noises upon each insertion, "Your cock", which earned her a hard thrust, "mmm… your voice" two soaked calloused fingers grazed that internal bundle of nerves again and Michonne buckled over grabbing Rick by the forearms. He pushed her back into the tree and swallowed her increasingly louder moans as he continued his punishing thrusting pace._ I guess I better add tree burn to that list, _Michonne thought as her hips ground her vulva into his hands as she leaned her back against the tree for leverage to get him ever deeper. Rick's eyes hooded as he watched her beautiful face contort in her throes of ecstasy. His other hand joined hers that had momentarily froze in its stroke of his now dripping cock. With his much larger hand over hers, they worked in tandem using his precum to assist the friction his dick was craving._

" _My voice … baby," Rick's breathing was getting more erratic, "you want to hear me tell you how bad I need to fuck you right now…"he smirked into her neck as the pulsing tightening on his fingers went into overdrive, "or do you want me to show you." Not waiting for an answer, it was all too much, Rick knew he needed to be inside her and feel her come all over his cock. His fingers had had enough fun. He abruptly pulled his fingers out and in one fell swoop drew her tight jeans down only taking time to remove one boot and one leg before he stood up, lifting the naked leg as he stood. With his other hand at the base of his swollen member and without preamble, he slid into her waiting, convulsing canal._

" _Goddaaaamn," he murmured, feeling every inch of her hot walls as he moved into her, "Oh baby…" her every spasm around his veiny cock sent a shiver run from the top of his bulbous head straight to his spine "I … fuck… I can feel you Michonne… but" he gave a full thrust to push past another strong spasm that only her viscous nectar helped him get through to hit her deep within, "I can't …unghh…I can't hear you" he challenged her even as he felt the momentous pressure building in his tightening balls. He lifted her naked leg ever higher in the crook of his arm as he slowly pulled his cock out and looked down to see the veiny appendage covered in all the creamy liquid result of her never ending orgasm. "Oh fuck baby… I can_ see _how wet you are… can you see it baby?" Michonne was reeling in her desire. Every time she tried to voice her opinion on this thorough fucking she was getting his cock would hit her spot causing her rolling orgasm to just keep going. On his next slow pull she gathered herself to look down at where they were joined and it spiraled her out of control, grabbing his ass, still half covered by his jeans that he didn't have the time to pull all the way down is his rush to be engulfed by her._

" _Fuck… me…" she growled as she pulled him with all her strength hard into her still pulsating cavern, "Ohhhh… Rick right there…"._

 _Her lithe body's flexibility and athleticism never more impressed him than at the very moment with her knee near her shoulder practically in a vertical split and the strength that she used to bring him repeatedly into her body. Sure she could do a roundhouse kick and then pivot while decapitating four walkers at the same time, but was there ever a woman like his that could take him the way she was doing right at this moment? He couldn't fathom the possibilities right now as the beast in him roared out demanding his full attention._

" _Right there baby …" his other hand now pushing at the rough bark of the tree that had started to tremble with each pummeling thrust, "Is that what you want… oh god Michonne.. you want it harder… RIGHT… THERE.." accentuating each word with a punishing push._

 _"YES Rick! Yes.. right … Fucking… oooohhh myyy goodddddd!" With no care of the danger that may have been meandering nearby in the forest, Michonne wailed with such abandon as Rick continued to wreck her pussy. The poor tree was sustaining damage and was showing its age as it's slender trunk continued to tremble under the pressure both bodies were putting it under. Rick felt an overwhelming urge to thank Michonne as he watched the onslaught of her rolling orgasm ripple through her. Thank her for her unending loyalty. Thank her for being his calm island amidst the storm of the harrowing life they were living. Thank her for the, "Best… fuckin'… pussy…_ _ **fuck,**_ _come on this dick… Fuuuck Michonne," Rick knew this release was probably going to be an explosion like they always were with Michonne but he wasn't expecting the power that he felt deep at the base of his balls currently slamming against her lower lips._

 _"Oooomygoddd, Thank you baby… I… lo…" he lost the ability to talk as the sweat streamed down his face and an errant leaf that had fallen from the tree in the quakes of their love making stuck to his cheek. He felt the rush from his seed a millisecond too late as he bit down on her calf currently on his shoulder._

 _###_

"What's that smile about?" Michonne threw Rick so suddenly out of his reverie that he almost swerved the pick-up truck in his surprise.

"What is on _**your**_ mind, officer?" The sexy smirk she gave him when he glanced over to her told him she already knew, but he decided to answer her as honestly as he could. He shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat checking the rearview mirror at the caravan they were leading to the Sanctuary. The outline of his hard dick couldn't be disguised anyway.

"Pretzels," he rasped out.

 **A/n: Hey there... so y'all asked for it. Was it good for ya? I had to postpone killing that leaning ass bastard but... did I deliver because I surely tried. Sorry atm0000 flacagonzales I was really fittin' to kill some saviors but... this happened. But seriously you guys, I am going to try to get something with a killin' before the bullshit of a MSP happens because I'm going to need time to process that. But let's not think about that, let's get to you my most beloved and amazing reviewers**

 **yelle hughes wowsers thank you so much for reading and reviewing... each and every chapter as you read. Thank you! You too carribeanQueen and see... you got the tree action.**

 **chezza3009 the main event is coming in probably the finale of this story. I've got that planned all out already but I'm hoping that this appeased you.**

 **rumark24 & can08writer mtownrichonner y'all see what Carl's got to deal with. In my head when they're home he's got headphone game on lock. He wants no parts of his crazy sexed up parents. There is no shame to their game (at least none to my Rick's game)**

 **minton131 thank you! I'm not sure if I did a personal shout out previously but I can't even talk about the MSF or the MSP. I've been blocking it out of mind. Permanently! I'm so glad that I've given you a bit of comfort. It comforts me to write and that my readers are comforted too!**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne man I love your name tag and love the meaning! loved me some Hunger Games and didn't even think about Cato like that but now ... :)**

 **courtgirl26 I'm still trying to decide on The Kang/The Biker/The Cherokee Steel Rose. I keep going back and forth on that but I guess while I'm writing the solution will present itself.**

 **amberjoy38 was this better? Asking for a friend**

 **Firefly-class I want to kill Negan too but... Rick and his meditating keeps interrupting thangs. LOL**

 **zeejack Ha what if Carol picked Roland... what in the world now you got me thinkin' ahahahah (that's my evil laugh) and stop spying on my mind. I see what your thoughts are on Gavin... don't think I don't!**

 **sophiasown & comewithnattah damn do you beeshes know how much I love y'all. Yeah I think you do. I tell you at least once a day but your reviews just as always give me life. Ride or die beeshes. RIDE or DIE! Angry Panda loves you!**

 **Goes without saying my muse for life kendrawriter big hug to you for your unending support and the specialness you add to every chapter.**


	21. Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

"Ahhh yes, pretzels," Michonne smiled at the memory of that run, it felt like so long ago now, "That poor traumatized tree, it was losing leaves like an old man loses hair." Rick barked out a short laugh along with her. He remembered seeing all the fallen foliage around them in the aftermath of their tree tryst, and feeling proud of himself for making good use of the forest during their impromptu "honeymoon".

While Rick laughed, Michonne was thinking of how he had made her into a human pretzel that day and the thought brought a rush of heat straight down her center. Still moist from his truck attack from earlier, she glanced over to him as his chuckle died down. He felt her gaze travel from his aquiline nose down to his salt and pepper beard that almost covered his full, delectable lips, and then finally down his broad torso, which was thankfully covered by her favorite blue denim shirt. He risked a look away from the long road ahead to see her lower her gaze to the protruding evidence of his now constant state of arousal. Instinctively his hand went to the aching appendage that had been rudely neglected for too long. Michonne licked her lips and made a decision to push the limits of her recently healed body. As he watched she lifted both legs to dashboard, using her lithe body to stretch her fingers out attempting to touch her toes.

"Wha… what are you doing Michonne?" Rick choked out. He felt his throat go dry as he watched his nimble sweetheart inhale slowly as she rose from her stretch and then exhale and lower herself again, getting her fingers a little closer to their goal of the tip of her black biker boots.

"Sshhhh, I'm concentrating," she closed her eyes with another rise and inhaled again. Exhaling, she lowered and felt her muscles relax and give more as she did five more reps of stretching. Success! Her fingers were now fully at the tips of her boots and she no longer felt the tightness in her long shapely legs on her last decline. She could have squealed in relief if she wasn't already occupied with another singular notion. While in the same position she began to untie the laces of each boot. "I'm thanking the yoga gods … and you're about to thank them too," she said with a sexy little wink, her voice smooth and soft as she returned to her upright position, "Because it looks like you're in serious need of a meditation ritual."

Little did she know that Rick's new meditation regime was what had him in the current hard dicked predicament he was in. Every dip of her body was slow torture as he watched her and he didn't think he could take any more. His other hand gripped the wheel as he continued to watch her toe each boot off as she unbuttoned her jeans. He had long since stopped stroking his now painful erection in fear of bursting like some prepubescent boy but watching his dusky lover raise her hips up to ease her jeans down was not doing him or his dick any favors.

"Now… let's see if we can't solve your little problem," she murmured as she leaned over and unbuckled his gun belt, careful not to perturb the raised bulge any further. The struggle was real for Rick as he tried to maintain his cool and keep the truck straight on the road as he felt the button on his jeans pop open and the zipper being gingerly brought down by her strong but delicate fingers.

"Uhm…" he groaned, "Baby… I don't… oh god," he bit his lip and couldn't continue his sentence as he felt her soft hand tentatively pull his substantial erection out and passed her thumb across the top where he had already started to trickle precum and rubbed it around the mushroom cap of his cock. "Fuck… Michonne… we're… We're headed off to war… oh _goddamn_." She had his head in her mouth. He had to wrestle the urge to slam on the brake when he felt her lightly humming against it, adding a bit of suction before releasing it with a moist pop.

"I know baby," Michonne leaned up and whispered directly in his ear while stroking his girth at a slow measured pace, "But I can't have you facing that bastard with this pointing straight at him. And didn't you say…" she tightened her grip on her sensuous stroke and gave the secret spot under his earlobe a light lick with the moist point of her pink tongue, wetting the skin where his soft salt and pepper beard met the nape of his neck. "Mmm… easy access. Isn't this what you meant baby?" She ducked her head back down and took his veiny hardness into her mouth using her accumulating saliva as a tool to get as much of him as she could.

Rick's eyes rolled upward for a millisecond and immediately went back to the road to make sure they had a clear path ahead of them as he felt her warm mouth enclose around the head of his cock. He didn't know whether to thank God or curse the devil as he felt the pulling suction from her enticing mouth. His right hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it roamed down the delicious curvature of her back to slide into her panties and grasp a handful of her voluptuous ass. She was already shockingly wet from his earlier broad daylight assault by the truck and he wasn't helping matters as his fingers travelled between her cheeks to get to her sticky center. Parting her swollen lower lips with his index and middle finger he found her clit already exposed from its hood. Her moan as he rubbed on both sides of the hot button with both fingers sent another jolt of shivers from the humming vibration on his cock happily knocking at the back of her throat.

"Shiiiit… babe… your mouth..." he couldn't help voicing his pleasure, "you don't know…oh god… it feels so fuckin' good… fuck baby … you sucking my cock… feels so… fuckin' good". His knuckles were turning white with the effort of holding the steering wheel straight when all he wanted to do was grab a fistful of her locs and guide her head to take even more of him in. He had impressed his own self from the fact that he hadn't exploded in her mouth the moment he felt her breath on the tip of his dick. It blew his mind, the herculean strength it took for him to not turn off the road to the Sanctuary and leave the rest of the caravan to fucking fend for themselves while he lost himself in Michonne's arms.

"Mmmm… baby, this… this is all I could think about…" his husky voice making her squirm as much as his fingers dipping in and out her did, "Feeling you… ungh… touching you…". Rick slid his fingers out of her using her syrupy nectar to glide upwards towards the delicate skin around her puckered rim. They had yet to explore that particular untold pleasure but the way Michonne pushed back against his gentle circular ministrations they both knew it was only a matter of time. The thought, running simultaneously in both their minds, made them both react instantly. Setting Rick harder than he ever thought he could get and Michonne releasing his manhood with a satisfying suck and pop allowing her to raise up and pull his jeans down further towards his knees. Rick managed to watch her as she sat upright and hurriedly drew down her now useless panties while he sat bare assed against the seat as he tried to anticipate her next move.

"Guess we're both going commando," she smirked as she tossed the soaked excuse for underwear on top of her jeans at her feet. In one fluid move she turned in her seat and stretched her left leg over Rick's lap to straddle him. Rick got downright gleeful once he realized he was about to enter the gates of heaven right before they drove into hell. He refrained from letting out a victorious war cry, though the urge was mighty. His eyes met hers as she felt for the base of his steel erection and began sliding the tip slowly between her swollen lips, making sure to hit her clit with each torturous, deliberate pass. Rick gritted his teeth as he felt her moisture coating his bulbous head. His right hand was almost losing circulation, his grip was so tight on that steering wheel. His other hand kept grasping her thigh harder with each moist pass as she mewled sweet nasty things in his ear.

"You thought about fucking me baby," she whispered, "hm? This pussy was what you were thinking about?" Before he could even formulate an affirming "fuck yes!" she slid down onto his cock and finally enveloped him in her tight waiting walls, already clenching with desire.

"Yessssssss..." they both hissed out. _This, **this**_ was what he was fighting for. **This** right fuckin' _**here**_ , Rick thought as Michonne began the slow sexy push and pull rhythm that their bodies had craved and missed so much. This feeling of completeness. This feeling of …"you're so …ungh… tight baby. You missed this baby? You. Miss. This. Dick." Rick's dominating nature surfaced in forceful thrusts, matching Michonne's, meeting her halfway. Michonne was fighting back though. She wanted to feel every inch of his thickness in her and savor it. She knew he loved the slow tug of her wet walls as she made her waist wind in a figure eight motion. She held his hips to take full advantage of her motion. The wet sounds of her pussy sliding on his cock filled the confined space along with the scent of her arousal and their intermingled sweat. She made her hips pop forward at the end of each sensuous grind causing Rick's to simultaneously grind out similarly nasty sweet declarations of his own while indeed thanking every yoga god in existence in his mind for this insanely skillful woman of his.

"You know I missed you. Can't you feel it … mmmm…Baby can't you feel it Rick," her voice was muffled as she alternated sucking and licking on his neck, making sure her head didn't obstruct his view while he was driving. Her wet pussy was distraction enough but Rick's determination not to kill them en route was strong.

"Fuck baby, I feel … everything right now," Rick's vision was beginning to blur with the effort. He felt every inch of the walls that molded to him perfectly as if she was made to love him. Love the dark murderous man that could kill a cannibal in cold blood. Love the angry lost man that vowed death on a sworn enemy to protect his family. Love every rough edge of him with a power that he had never experienced in his lifetime. Be with him through it all. He had to taste her. He had to lick the soft skin of his woman's shoulder. He needed the sweet sweat that was sheening her perfect smooth skin that still had remnants of the coconut oil she used even after the long day and battle she had in the garbage city.

Her grinds were getting more powerful. He felt her pulsing canal begin to flutter and he couldn't wait for her to erupt all over him. He felt like he had been waiting a lifetime to be with her and now that he had her, even in the tight confines of the pick-up truck's cab he was forever grateful that she had graced him with her love. He felt her beginning to come undone as her winding pumps became erratic and her hands gripped the curls at the nape of his neck tighter.

"Yes Chonne, give it to me baby… oh god… please… I don't think I can hold on," Rick pleaded with the only woman who had ever heard him beg for mercy. Sweat from the exertion of making sure he came to the explosive conclusion at the same time as her was running into his eyes and misting his already impaired vision. He couldn't help himself - he took the strap of her tank top into his mouth and bit down, pulling at it, nearly ripping it from her in his distress as he felt his balls tighten painfully with the impending explosion that it had been waiting for.

"Mmmm… oh my god… Rick. Rick. Fuck Rick," his name bursting from her mouth like a sacred mantra, "Riiiick!" her moans in his ear spurred him to buck up off the seat fiercely into her.

"Yes baby, that's it. God…", he couldn't hold back anymore as he felt the strangling tightness around his cock, "Michonne. Michooonne. I love you… God I lovvvv…" Rick's growling shout was cut short while his foot hit the gas with an uncontrollable force. The pick-up truck barreled forward as his come barreled hard out of him straight and deep into her spasming pussy.

###

"Dinner with our show," Carol said as she handed King Ezekiel a homemade oat bar from the camper backpack at her feet. They had the unlucky position of second truck behind Rick and Michonne and were inadvertent voyeurs to what looked like a very risky reunion of the two lovers driving ahead of them.

"Oops…there's her head, is she…?" Ezekiel exclaimed in wonderment as he saw the top of Michonne's locked head appear from where he had previously witnessed it disappear in the vicinity of what could only have been Rick's lap.

"Yes. I do believe she is," Carol wryly replied with a smirk and shake of her head, "If anyone can make that straddle work, it's Michonne. I've seen her in action against at least eight walkers at a time. I umm… don't think flexibility is a problem for Michonne at all," she chuckled derisively, having full view through the back window of Michonne's position change. She couldn't see Rick's face but she could only imagine the jubilant joy that was probably on it.

"Extraordinary," King Ezekiel exclaimed, "All of the women from your family are simply extraordinary." The mention of her makeshift family brought a small smile to Carol's lips. A smile so rarely seen and by so few gave Ezekiel a glimpse of a younger and maybe happier woman. A woman that was maybe softer in her manner before the end of the world sharpened her edges to a razor finish. A woman that maybe never once thought of raising a hand to harm a butterfly instead of the woman she now was with a hard squint to her grey eyes who could probably kill a butterfly dead with just a glare. He was still intimidated by the pint sized warrior sitting next to him but she intrigued him also. From the moment he saw through that timid Susie Homemaker act she tried to pull when she was first wheeled into his "throne room" carrying on about "readily available cobbler" and how "amazed" she was at the Kingdom's facilities.

He instantly recognized the gritty salt in the sweet pudding of her seemingly effusive naiveté. He saw a kindred spirit and member of the "Fake It 'Til You Make It" club the moment he looked into those mirthless grey eyes of hers. He took a chance opening up to her and showing the man beneath the "King" façade he put on for his people and was rewarded with… well nothing but a door closed in his face after his invasive surprise visits to her secluded cabin. It wasn't until the tragic death of young Ben in that very same home she was using to escape whatever demons she was fighting and then the appearance of the grungy biker that he saw the iron come back into her eyes.

The passion to protect her family as she called them … and _him_... came out like a live torpedo once she got started. Organizing teams, strategizing the entire effort to "wrangle" almost 500 walkers into the Kingdom with not one casualty, training all abled citizens in the Kingdom in the art of the head shot and knife skills – the woman did it all. All in the name of family. After the time they had spent together he hoped that she considered the Kingdom as at least an extended part of that family. She'd certainly taken to Henry instantly as the young boy struggled with losing his big brother unnecessarily to Negan's thugs. Ezekiel gathered that the boy's sheer toughness covering his grief was something she uniquely related to.

"Extraordinary… hmm, I guess you could call Michonne that," Carol replied with a pensive note in her voice, "I'm certainly constantly amazed by her. You know, she would never say this to anyone but she should have a big chip on her shoulder against me."

"Now that sounds like an interesting story," he said, grateful for anything to distract him from the accidental peep show that was making him both awkward and aroused in the most uncomfortable way, "What, did you two battle over the Cowboy leader or something?" He let out a small chuckle that was quickly cut off when he looked and almost ducked for cover from the daggers coming from her eyes. "Well damn woman! I didn't mean it like that… unless I was rii…"

"No," Carol sighed, "at least not like what you think. Let's just say when we first got to Alexandria, I tried to steer Rick into several different directions. I'm not sayin' I was entirely wrong in some of the ways I saw that community. But…", she took another deep introspective breath, "I would understand if I woke up one morning with the business end of a certain sword staring right back at me."

Carol had never really apologized to Michonne for her hand in the plotting and machinations she used in to feed into Rick's clear post traumatic manic hunger. She really did believe the old guard of Alexandria were weak with their vapid dinner parties and coffee klatches for the clueless. It wasn't that that proved her right, those murderous bastards wolves did that for her. The culling of the weak. Those "W" scarred freaks did a better job than she ever could to open the eyes of the remaining survivors of old Alexandria. That, coupled with the monstrous herd that swept through the small community, left only the strongest of the Alexandrians as far as she was concerned. Ones that showed grit and courage when they fought side by side to overcome the herd. Hell she could even reconcile herself to tolerate Tobin enough to get her rocks off and have a passing affection.

But what she did when it came to manipulating Rick's need to protect and twist it towards the Anderson woman, well even that she knew at the time was wrong. She also knew a fellow human punching bag when she saw one and she knew the bastard doctor had to go. She wasn't blind to the growing connection between Rick and Michonne. Hell you'd have to be blind if you didn't feel the heat radiate off of them when they were within eye fuck distance of each other but none of that mattered to Carol. She figured since they hadn't quite figured it out themselves then might as well use the opportunity and use the nostalgic memory of Rick's wife to get what she wanted.

Carol would be forever grateful for Michonne's grace during that ugly time until even now. Never once confronting her, as she was well within her right to after she and Rick finally gave in to the obvious love they had for each other that everyone saw except them. Never once looking at Carol with accusation pouring from her deep brown eyes for the plotting and the scheming and the games she inveigled Rick and Daryl into. No, not Michonne, her focus never wavering from what was best for the entirety instead of the parts that made up the sum. Even now when Michonne's clear focus was intent on Rick, Carol was sure that thoughts of all three of the communities and their survival after this war was not far from her thoughts. Carol would be forever grateful for her unspoken forgiveness and in constant awe of the sable woman with her smooth and cool approach to everything.

In hindsight Carol may have even been a bit jealous of the command Michonne had over Rick even before they got to Alexandria. Maybe even a bit threatened because Rick had already shown he had no problems sending her packing in the name of protection. Carol knew deep down that would never be something Michonne would ever have to worry about. Michonne was too important to Carl. Too important to Rick even though he wouldn't acknowledge it. But then again Michonne didn't torch two innocent souls, also in the name of protection. Michonne would never.

Carol was stunned out of her contemplative silence by the grumble of the motorcycle keeping steady pace on her side of the road. Just in view of her side view mirror, dead center. She smiled her small secret smile again. He probably didn't see it with the dust from the road, or at least Daryl was putting on a good show of not looking at her directly in that same side view mirror. The king had felt his and heard his presence the entirety of the road trip also but he chose to ignore it. After all, Carol was sitting next to him and not on the back of some dusty bike. Each rev of the single man machine sounding like a cry for help. A plea to the strange, silent and thoroughly intriguing small women sitting beside him. Ezekiel still managed to smile over his darker confusing thoughts wondering just who in hell this great unwashed person was and what the exact nature of his relationship to Carol was. Just as he was about to vocalize a question that had been plaguing his mind, Carol spoke up.

"Oh boy, looks like they're in the home stretch," she laughed as she gestured to the vehicle ahead of them that had started to speed up. Ezekiel began to pressure his own gas pedal when her soft small hand came to rest on his forearm as he was steering.

"Nah… let's, um, give them a little privacy for this last part," she said with a chuckle, "I could live without seeing Michonne's O face and as long as Rick can stay straight on the road I think we can spare a few yards."

"Yes madam, I do believe you are right," as Ezekiel gave her his best side smirk, "Good thing too because the rendezvous point is not too far ahead. I was thinking at the rate they're going they might have driven right past Maggie and straight through the gates of the Sanctuary."

Tears were now coming from Carol's laughing eyes at the thought of Rick barging through the metal gates, Michonne straddling him. One hand on the steering wheel and the other hanging out the window brandishing his Colt Python while Michonne rode his other python. "and… Ne..Negan would… get an eyeful of Michonne's beautiful behind and … ahahahah… Rick would shoot him dead just for that."

They both continued to laugh while giving the lead car it's well deserved space, almost forgetting the lone motorcyclist watching in the side view mirror wondering what the hell Carol had to laugh about so damn hard and why it wasn't him who got her to break out that joy.

 **A/n: Heeeeyyy my lovelies! As you may have surmised from this last chapter I got a little in my feelings on this one. I did RESEARCH for this y'all! The things I do in the name of technical accuracy. If you were finding the plausibility of this scene a little shallow - I got receipts! Check this out /en_uk/article/wjzdb9/five-questions-for-that-argentinian-couple-who-fucked-in-a-moving-car** **and I say if it can be done in there then Savage Rick got way more skills than that guy. Also, I was a little afraid some of you guys didn't realize the last chapter was a flashback and this particular scene I had down for a minute but got bypassed for the tree scene in the most luscious way.**

 **I was feeling some type of way for poor suffering Rick. Had to give him some bit of relief before he got to the Sanctuary. Please forgive the double knockin' boots chapters but now I'm full on into the Leanin ass bastards head space. FYI - not a good place to be in especially as I've yet to watch the MSP and probably won't be watching it before I drop the next chapter or I may just do some real unjustifiable nasty things to him and I gotta keep it realistic. Like chopped up peen ain't really Rick's style so I'm trying to stay focused on a realistic battle for you. PS BATTLE IN DEFINITELY NEXT CHAPTER. and sadly... I think we've seen the last of Rick's "meditatin"... but don't despair... there's got to be celebration back brukkin' so... there's that you have to look forward to so there's that.**

 **Anyways now for your awesome reviews #ILOVEYALLSOMUCH**

 **Hey Remi you're new! Welcome! Beinvenue! Thank you and I hope you're enjoying the ride!**

 **MannaRN OMG "THE hottest Richonne sex scene ever" OMGOMGOMG I think I cried and died at the same time. To think you put that in real life print... yeah. This is my ghost writing to you from the grave. A leaf strewn grave.**

 **RGBzMom you feel attacked... GOOD I'm so happy. I was that tree too! I felt attacked when I wrote it. Where my head be at sometimes I just don't know!**

 **courtgirl26 you and that poor tree was just chillin' minding it's own damn business and here come these two tree killers. I know right? You made pretzels CANON! You and carribean_queen have made me think about putting pretzels in every other scene! ha i love it! PS can you loan can08writer your fan because she said she needs it!**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne would I stop writing about dominant savage Rick... hmmm I really don't think I can! But... this story do gotta come to an end babes but that don't mean the Rick Rock stops.**

 **amberjoy38 I'm sorry I didn't do any murder this chapter either. You forgive me?**

 **Tigerwalk you're very welcome! I thought that you and my other dear readers was fittin' to riot if I didn't get that tree scene out man. Low key loving that y'all made me go there tho!**

 **Chezza3009 that is high praise your smut is golden man! So thank you!**

 **comewithnattah Richonne gives ZERO Fucks about the Lorax and his tree huggin ass. I feel like Rick saw that pint egg shaped orange freak and gave him a look that said "Nah son, you wants NO PART OF THIS HERE TREE" and for good measure kicked the tree afterwards. I love you btw. Your reviews as always give me life.**

 **Sophiasown you got your tree scene. Is you happy now? Is You? You gotta leave me a review that made me want to find you and plant groves of trees around you. I love you too btw (shhh don't tell nattah)**

 **Flacagonzales and zeejack jerkchickenz no the honeymoon erm was not NSFW at all. #sorrynotsorry now that you've cooled down y'all ready for war? Because I'm fitting to give it to ya.**

 **Firefly-class don't worry they're gonna get a lot of frustrations out in all kinds of ways.**


	22. Chapter 22

**TWENTY-TWO**

"Well hey y'all," Maggie greeted from her cross-legged lean against her truck, "Nice of y'all to join us."

"Well, we had to take out the trash and got into a bit of a dispute with the garbage men," Rick retorted back hanging out the window as he pulled the pickup truck up beside her. It didn't go unnoticed that he looked a great deal more relaxed than a man leading a charge to war should have any reason to look. Maggie shook her head, making her short brown waves of hair sweep over her face and into her rolling eyes.

"Well I see it didn't stop you from picking up the rest of the troops along the way, so I guess you're forgiven for a bit of tardiness," Maggie appraised the line of vehicles rolling in behind Rick, "Thought me and Jesus was gonna have ta end this here war all by our damn selves."

"Now would I have ever let that happen?" Michonne had exited and walked over to Maggie to give her a strong hug. Michonne gave her dearest friend a once over with gentle concern, pausing briefly at Maggie's subconscious rubbing of her barely protruding midsection. "You up for this," she queried, with all the sisterly concern in her voice, "How's the morning sickness?"

"I'm good," Maggie replied enthusiastically, "Like I told Jesus, this baby has been waitin' for this for a long time… and so have I," she ended quietly with a hard glint in her jade hued eyes.

Nodding solemnly in understanding Michonne gave Maggie another reassuring squeeze and turned to watch the rest of the motorcade arrive. Her eye steady on where Carl pulled in with Rosita while Rick made his bow legged way over to embrace Maggie.

Rick blindly reached for Michonne's hand that was already making its way to the comfort of its strong calloused home. A gentle squeeze from each giving the other a calm reassurance as thoughts of all that it took to get to this day ran through their minds. Sated as they were from their rapid reunion, the feeling of cautious anticipation wouldn't dissipate. People were going to die today and there was no telling what the mighty cost of the day would be. The bravery shining through their son's eye as he approached gave them each a surge of hope along with the precious life they knew was growing within their friend's slender frame. Hope that the cost would not be too great. But a cost there would be, and as the crowd gathered around them Rick's azure squint quietly tried to assess the worthiness of their cause. All of these brave souls that chose to follow him into what he hoped would be the end of this war. Was it going to be worth it? He had asked himself the question for what he figured was the millionth time. His eyes scanned the small army falling once again to his son's determined stare and then settled on the woman at his side. _Fuck yes._ A future for all these people and more importantly a future for his family was damn worth it, he decided.

"Y'all didn't come here for another speech," Rick bellowed out to the assorted group, "I'm not good at 'em and I'm not here to make one. I have one thing to say to you. Survive! Survive this day! Survive and build this world into one that is worth _living_ in. Survive for the future! Survive so that we can TRULY live! Prove to those bastards who tried to destroy us that WE are the survivors that will inherit this scorched earth. Not them! Do whatever you have to do to survive! We didn't start this but we are the ones who will finish it! We don't take it lightly what we do today but damn it WE WILL SURVIVE! _**WE**_ ARE THE ONES WHO LIVE!"

With one last look to the nodding heads of the crowd he strode back to his pick up truck with Michonne keeping her stride right alongside him.

"Alright y'all know the plan," Maggie hollered while in motion, "Stick to it and we're gonna make it. Stick to the plan and make them wish they never thought to bring us down! NO SANCTUARY FOR THE DEAD SO NO SANCTUARY FOR THEM!"

A symphony of cars, trucks and a lone motorcycle revving all began to play at the same moment as Rick and Michonne took the lead car again, speeding off in a swirl of dust with their army behind them.

###

"I got a question for you Arat," the tough looking woman looked up from her despondent stare at the table before her at the sound of her name. Before she could respond he continued, "Do you hear that?"

Confused, Arat looked around at her fellow occupants sitting at the table with her and answered, "I don't … I don't hear anything."

"EXACTAMUNDO! Gold star for you Arat! And you, Professor fuckin' X of the apocalypse," Eugene cowered in his seat but still gave his full attention, "You think it feels kinda crowded in here?"

"I, um, I can only surmise you are referring to the lack of personnel currently not occupying this space sir Negan sir," he stuttered his reply.

"Well hot diggity dog, Eugene! I actually understood what the fuck you were sayin' that time," the glint in his dark eyes was quickly suppressed by the darkness building behind them. "And you with your smarty pants would be correct." The tall leather jacket clad man began slowly walking around the table with his darling bat on his shoulder. His knuckles were pale white from the grip he had on the base of the barbed wire covered wood, belying the calm he had in his queries.

"Now… by my count, just a few days ago this room was packed full of my loyal sergeants. Now… I may be wrong, but ..." he stopped behind Eugene's chair and rested his free hand on the back almost grazing his shoulder giving Eugene an involuntary shiver, "I could barely get a word in edgewise just a few days ago there was just… so… many… fuckin'… _opinions_ … to be had. Right here in this room." Negan began his leisurely stroll again, landing behind Arat's chair positioned at the end of the table to Eugene's right.

"Negan, we…"

"Did I say you could speak Arat," the quiet cold threat in his voice cut Arat's sentence in the middle of her throat, "Now, as I was saying. It was downright _noisy_ in this very room. Just. A. Few. Days. Ago. Now, I think I can actually hear Eugene's brain's working out how not to piss himself. Anyone want to answer this next one? WHERE IN THE FUCK IS EVERYBODY?"

Negan's swung the bat down and it slammed noisily on the table leaving noticeable dent in the old wood.

"You, Rachel! You got answers for me?" The brunette woman sitting directly across from Eugene shook her head while keeping her eyes on the dent in the table. Praying against all that was holy and unholy in this ruined world that her head wouldn't be the next dented thing in the room.

"How bout you Eugene? You got an answer for why in all this shit eatin' fucked uppedness, is this room so damn empty? Or maybe why I haven't heard not one of your walkie talkies make so much as a static crackle pop in the last FUCKIN' 24 HOURS?"

Another swing of the bat and Rachel's walkie that was sitting on the table was smashed to bits.

"No one. Not one word out of none of you," Negan let out a long exasperated breath, "I have to say, I am so very disappointed."

"Maybe Simon's gone and fucked up on that mission…unggh," blood sprayed over the table suddenly, splattering the right side of Rachel's face and into Eugene's eyes. The head of the henchman Dean, meant to represent for Simon in his absence, lay leaking brain matter and viscous blood over the table. Arat, the only stoic figure in the room continued to stare straight ahead as Rachel tried unsuccessfully to suppress the quaking shivers that ran over her body and stop the tears running down her face falling to the table and mixing with Dean's blood.

"Now see, that's what the fuck I'm talkin' about," Negan's voice not even missing a beat after the blow he just delivered, "Didn't I say NOT. ONE. FUCKING. WORD. My disappointment is at an all-time high right now. Did I _ask_ for your opinion Dean? Huh… got nothing to say?" He leaned further down to Dean's now twitching body with his free hand cupped at his ear.

"So NOW you want to be quiet. Tut. Tut. Tut." Negan sighed, "Well if that's what it had to take, then so fuckin' be it. And where in the blazing balls hell is Marie?" Negan stood up abruptly as if an errant thought had just occurred to him.

"I asked for her a goddamn hour ago. It's almost like nobody is respecting my goddamnit authority up in here… and THAT my friends," he flicked the bloody brain matter off of his bat splashing Eugene with more of the jagged remaining bone fragments and sinew. The caramel skinned beauty that stood just outside the door, listening with horror at the death she heard on the other side shook herself, trying to brace her mind and body for what she was about to see once she entered the room. _Please let that damn signal be soon,_ she thought and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"…is a mistake. Open the door Arat."

Marie stood there and attempted her most _respectful_ unimpressed face as the door opened and Arat beckoned her inside the room. It took everything in her not to stare at the twitching form pouring blood onto the table but she knew if she looked her entire cool veneer would crumble. The smooth and cool façade that had kept her safe in this despicable society she had joined in her gamble to survive would melt in the face of the bat wielding mad man she'd come to know as _leader_.

She called upon all the powers of that same smokescreen of frostiness she armored herself with to protect her from Negan's constant advances to wash over her now in the face of the awfulness before her. Her sassy clapbacks kept Negan's interest and he admired the "soccer sized lady balls" she had with her constant refusal to do him the great honor of becoming one of his "wives". She proved herself useful with her street smarts that helped her survive to make it all the way to the Sanctuary and showed that she wasn't to be fucked with when it came to being a part of his run team. He either didn't realize or didn't care that each biting remark she quickly made back to him were her truest feelings.

When he had first approached her with "Man Marie, you need to be one of my wives with your smart sexy ass" her response of "You don't want me for a wife Negan, why you want to wake up with knife at your dick every morning. Now stop fuckin around with me and let me clean my gun," he had barked out a loud laugh at that while she smirked back at him and even gave him a little wink. Little did he know. She'd rather be stabbed in the eye with the heel of her black, red bottom Louboutins, the one possession she had kept with her from the time before the world died, than be a part of that sad bunch of women. Negan had coerced them all through whatever contemptible methods, be it threat to loved ones or deprivation of much needed supplies to get them. He wasn't gonna get her like that, and she wasn't giving in.

She had come there on her own and she would leave there on her own as far as she was concerned. Now she was just waiting for Dwight's signal, still unsure of exactly what that was but she knew that once it happened she and a small network of the disgruntled workers of the Sanctuary should follow the plan to get as many of the children and those who couldn't fight out. She didn't know what would happen after that. Maybe one of those other communities would take them in, at least that's what the whispers in the dark shadows of the Sanctuary's hidden corners were saying. Didn't matter to Marie, she was a survivor and if those other places came off as being as totalitarian as the one she was in then she'd make it on her own. She'd done it before and she'd do it again.

"Ah there she is," Negan exclaimed, as if he didn't just do murder in the most brutal way not one minute before, "My peanut butter nutter! What the hell took you so long?"

Marie rolled her eyes and took a meditation count to five before breathing in the coppery stench of the still flowing blood, "Dealing with the workers Negan. Like _you_ asked me to. You know, keep 'em calm, put some rowdy ones in their place. Some of them are getting antsy having little to no information to go on with what's going on with those fuckin' farmer fighters."

"Now see, at least _someone_ has some good answers for me today," Negan strolled to his seat and placed the infamous Lucille bat down on the table in front of him, "I knew if anyone could keep these people in line it would be _my_ ballsy Marie."

"Negan, you know damn well I'm not _your_ anything. The people needed calming down and that's what I did. Now is that what you called me in here for or did you feel the need for me to see more of this?" she gestured in disgust at his gruesome handiwork still in its death throes on the table.

"See, now that's why I like you woman! No beating 'round the bush. I ask a question and by fuck I got an answer. Not like shit for brains Dean over here…well actually looks like he's actually got brain for brains by the look at what's all over this table," he giggled sinisterly at his own maniacal joke, "But what I really needed you for is exactly the same kind of situation." She gave an unimpressed "Come and get on with it" look as he leaned back in his seat.

"Well I'm expecting some new guests and I need a welcome wagon that I think you'd be perfect for," Negan went on, "A special guest that I'm figuring you will be able to do your thing with and convince her that I'm not the unreasonable fucker she's been led to believe I am. I mean, she did watch me kill her people so I can understand why she probably won't be singing hallelujahs when she gets here."

"Why me Negan," speaking out loud her actual thought, she was the last person to try convincing anyone, especially a _she,_ that Negan was anything other than a raging fascist psychopath.

"Well for one, you _get it_ , Marie. You get that we're all just trying to survive and my way is the _only_ way to survive," he looked almost pensive as he continued, "You get that this is a murderer's world now and if you ain't got that killer inside then you're not going to make it. Not without protection. I'm _protecting_ the ones that can't be killers. This place SAVES them. _**I'm**_ saving them. In order to KEEP them safe I've just been trying to maintain the status quo. Now I see how you've handled yourself and I know you don't need protection. That you're a true Savior. Just like me and from what I can tell, our new guest doesn't need protection either. She can be a Savior. From the way she tried to save that one-eyed pyscho boy that night I feel it down to my pretty booted feet."

Marie thought he was one to be throwing out terms like psycho and savior in the same breath but she listened as he went on.

"And … um.. not for nothing, I think when she comes seeing a _friendly_ face amongst us would help."

"Friendly face? Wait, is she Black," Marie enquired incredulously, "you think this woman, whoever she is, is gonna be ok with being brought to the Sanctuary, AFTER you've killed her people, AFTER you've brought her here against her will sounds like? After all that she's gonna see me and say 'Oh good, this place is alright. A sista is here! Let's go do each other's hair and talk 'bout these crazy white folks? Is THAT what you really think Negan?"

"Well when you say it like that, makes me sound downright racist Marie, and you know damn well that ain't the truth," he looked hurt by the very notion, "I've asked you more than enough times to be my chocolate bunny to know that ain't the case".

 _Oh my god if this motherfu…_ Marie's thoughts were cut off by a shaking boom that reverberated off the room's walls.

BANG

BANG

BANG

Clear sounds of calculated gunfire rang through the air.

"What in the fuck?" Negan rose from his seat and hurried to the window followed closely by Arat and Eugene. Rachel remained in her seat, still staring into the dead eyes of Dean as what sounded like the Devil come-a-knockin' began to erupt all around her. No one took notice of Marie slipping quietly out of the door she came from into the empty hallway. She knew this was it and she wasn't going to let the opportunity to go unheeded. As people began to fly past her to see what was going on she was making her way to her living compartment to grab her already packed backpack. She checked once more seeing the tip of her beloved red bottoms and closed the bag again, securing her gun in her holster and making her way to the workers floor against the rising tide of the panicked crowd.

"Well Negan, you gonna come out so we can have a word or two… Or are you gonna make me count?"

Negan heard _his_ voice above the din and breathed out heavily. _Well alright cowboy sheriff fuckboy, I guess this is how it's gotta be then,_ he thought before yelling back out of the window, "Rick?! Well damn, why didn't ya let me know you were coming? Hell yes I'm comin'… Be. Right. Out."

 **A/N Oh my gosh y'all, HOW WE GET HERE? Chapter 22... I don't know, can you tell me? I just know I wouldn't be here without your amazing support. My ace in the hole kendrawriter33, my SDUB numero uno comewithnattah and my own personal cheerleading section of sophiasown fikfreak and the awesome team of weretheoneswhowrite and just gosh the wonderful reviews, messages and overall awesomeness of you all I just don't know... I'd probably just be sitting here ... contemplating my life choices. Now I heard there is a thing called the Chapter 22 curse. Is that a thing? Did I make it up? Possibly but this one was a bit tough to write. I think I'm procrastinating on trying to construct a battle scene properly. It's weird, give me a tree to utterly destroy and I'm done with that chapter in a week. Give me a truck to defile, yeah I got you. Now sit down and write bullets guts and glory - Insert that Dave Chappelle gif of him running out as President.**

 **Anyway I hope you enjoyed this last bit and finally getting Rick's meditatin' hot behind to the Sanctuary. Next up, fire and brimstone.**

 **Now for your fabulous reviews!**

 **Hey Remi and my new Guests! How you doing? Welcome! Glad you came to visit! Sit down and get comfy and hope you enjoy the ride!**

 **amberjoy38 girl you don't owe me nothing but your awesomeness! So happy you liked it.**

 **RBGzMom Do you think the yoga gods had truck sex in mind? Probably not but meh... bygones. I've been butt hurt that not one scene has Michonne and Carol even talking to each other so I in my power as author of this little flick felt the need to address some ish that hasn't sat right with me about the whole Rick's gone wild and Carol is there abetting it so I'm glad you flacagonzales & firefly-class didn't mind me taking a few liberties in addressing that. We all know how I'm feeling about the writers of this show these days so I'm going to use my power for good and just be like Whoosh Fixed It in my story.**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne every time you write and say this is one of your favorite stories I shed a loving tear and try to think of a way to continue this story. You're a driving force behind me and I just thought I should let you know that. But enough of the sap because you know I don't do that - fix yo pouty face. I'm not done. not by a mile on writing more Richonne so ... fix yo face muah!**

 **CarribeanQueen - insert that bloody face Rick gif saying "What". I'm trying to make sure your commute is beneficial to everyone... well, maybe just you but hey semantics**

 **Each chapter review you wrote was like a special surprise chocolate candy. Thank you so much and I'm so glad you're finally enjoying my little contribution to the fandom.**

 **Chezza3009 well now we ain't the only ones who've seen them in that position. Poor Carol and Zeke, don't think they'll be able to get those images out of their minds too soon. It will distract them from the broody motorcycle running next to them.**

 **rumark24 you good? you up to date now? man listen I don't know how you missed tree sex when you was a major advocate for it. Hmph so how do I thank you? With moving violation sex too! That's what you get for missing chapters. :-)**

 **jerkchickenz Christmas in March! maybe? And you were right. I could have gone the rest of the year without watching the MSP ... or the rest of this season for that matter.**

 **MannaRN YES I DID RESEARCH! AND I'D DO IT AGAIN! Yeahhhhh, my google searches are probably raising red flags in certain circles but I do it for you! It's what I call taking one for the team! What was I going to do, just write crazy bendy truck sex and not make sure it was feasible? tut tut tut... no! you my awesome readers deserve the very best of me and I am willing to sacrifice my time for "research"**


	23. Chapter 23

**TWENTY-THREE**

Rick looked over towards the screeching sound of the iron Sanctuary gate as it slid open. His eyes narrowed when he saw the tip of that damned piece of barbed wood inch out, followed by the leather clad form of the man he'd travelled all this way to kill. He took a moment to be a little flabbergasted at the fact that his only mission on this day was to see another man dead. In the moments before Negan made a full appearance Rick tried to reconcile the man he used to be, the enforcer of law, the conscious believer in right and wrong, to the man this world had turned him into. A man who could smile at the thought of gutting another, lesser in his eyes, human being. A man whose fingers were rubbing each other in anticipation to grab his Colt Python to pull the trigger and empty every chamber directly into the head of another man.

Before he could delve too deeply into the gray area of the rights or wrongs in the bloodlust building in his veins he managed to glance into the solemn, beautiful depths of the russet almond shaped eyes at his side. Michonne's eyes reflected the opposite of everything he was doubting in himself back to him. For a brief moment he saw the man _she_ saw in him. A father, a lover, a protector… a _good_ man. A man that was fighting for the future by ridding it of the evil that had been trying to insinuate its slimy tentacles into their lives; ridding it of the sociopath standing before them, no doubt mentally fashioning a litany of nonsensical platitudes to spew forth in greeting.

Rick watched as Negan made his way to the railing at the front of the platform at the entrance of his Sanctuary. He was flanked by his diminished force of lieutenants, all filing out after him and fanning to either side of him like disobedient dogs called to heel. Arat was the only one to look defiant in the face of the rebellious force of the twenty-plus vehicles reinforced with either corrugated steel or whatever other metal the small army could scavenge to make themselves battle ready. She could almost laugh at the hodge podge look of all of them gathered beyond the fence. Almost... if they didn't look so deadly.

Rachel had gotten ahold of herself enough to find her way to the front, nudging Eugene aside as he blocked the entrance, standing behind Negan and his last line of defense. She wished she had stayed with Dean's dead body as she looked out onto the tank motorcade that greeted her. In any event, she caught some of the hateful, determined stares of the fighters. _Oh yeah,_ she surmised, she'd be joining Dean in all his smash head glory shortly.

Rick looked up toward the roof of the dilapidated warehouse, easily spotting the snipers in position there. If nothing, Negan had his soldiers just as organized as any 5 star general in the old world's army. Rick wasn't surprised. He knew Negan wasn't a stupid man. A murdering son of a bitch yes, but a stupid man would never have been able to not only survive this apocalypse but construct and maintain such an organized network of outposts and community. The flaw lay in his methodology of structure. History had obviously taught him that a charismatic leader with an iron fist could most assuredly rule, especially in this harsh new world but what he didn't grasp is that tyrants are usually overthrown. Be it by another equally grotesque form of tyranny or in most cases the starving public who were weighted down by the boot on their necks forcing them into submission.

Rick knew that part of the lesson and he was in a teachin' mood. As his gaze followed down from the roof he spied through the dirty windows at the front of the building, panels broken or just plain missing, the various eyes peering right back at him. Some full of pure unadulterated hate but also some with pleas silently exhorting him for mercy. He didn't know which he felt worse for. Today many of those eyes would either shut in true death or glaze over into a milky white haze doomed to roam the earth with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. He hoped that the good ones made their way through the blood of the day but he couldn't muster more energy than the slightest concern. All his energy was bent towards the man in black leather, who for all the world looked like he came out for a morning stroll and just happened upon a friendly neighbor in need of a borrowed cup of sugar. Negan even had a slight smirk on his face as his cold hazel eyes met with Rick's even icier blues. _Here we go_ , the single thought shared by the two deadliest men bound by hate.

"Well, shit Rick," Negan started, "I can genuinely say this is a surprise visit. Please do pardon our appearance but we are currently undergoing a little bit of remodeling."

"Hm, yeah," Rick grunted seeing the numerous iron capped walkers chained to the chain link fence groaning and reaching blindly for the food they smelled so near to them, "Remodelin' for any particular reason Negan?" Rick usually had the smallest amount of patience for Negan's usual self-proclaimed "witty repartay" but he indulged the man's penchant for rambling as he counted the minutes in his head.

"Well, expecting some new additions to the family," Negan came back smoothly with snake oil in his voice, "need to make sure the place is presentable. Maybe you should stick around and join us for dinner. I'm sure I can get a place setting for you. Wouldn't want you to get your cowboy underoos in a wad for not getting an invite."

"Oh but I did get an invitation Negan," Rick's eyes going colder with every second of the conversation's implication of who his "new additions" were, "See… I heard you were looking for another wife." Rick scratched his left eyebrow with his right thumb as he shook his head incredulously, "I heard you thought you'd help yourself to mine… Well that was invitation enough if you ask me, right baby?"

"Sounds like one to me," Michonne came from her covered position to openly stand beside Rick, "But we came to personally let you know that I am otherwise engaged at this time…"

The quick heat of surprised rage could be seen flickering through Negan's face before quickly resolving itself to his usual sardonic grin. Something had gone horribly awry if Rick's woman was standing next to him looking at him with nothing but murder in her eyes. A look that matched the stony cobalt pair next to her that held only a hint of smugness. _How did that cowboy pull a woman like that_ , Negan thought to himself with not the smallest bit of admiration. The woman he saw before him was a killer, no doubt, but if she wasn't the sexiest murderer he'd ever seen, _Fuck she would have put all my girls to shame._

"Oh well, now I am really disappointed at that sweet heart," Negan said, "You still have a chance though. Want to come over to the right side of this thing? I'll even let you play with my big bat."

That was the wrong thing to say. "I've seen your bat up close and personal," Michonne's cold response came as a shiver ran down her spine, remembering the night that instrument of destruction came into her life and changed the course of everything, "and you'd be better off fucking yourself with it."

"Enough," Rick had had enough of this discourse and he'd be damned if he allowed this dog of a human address Michonne in his presence. He didn't think most men were worthy to even breathe the same air she did, himself included, so this casual talk with any mentions of "fuck" in it needed to end… now.

"You! All you lieutenants and people inside," Rick yelled up, "This doesn't have to end badly. Only one person has to die today! I'm asking y'all this once and I'm asking _nicely_ , abandon this lost cause. Live under his thumb no more. Ask yourselves, is it worth it? This half-life he's had you livin', is it worth it? Your life less worthy than his? Is **HE** worth it? Surrender now before it's too late."

An eerie silence was the only reply, and Negan took that as a good sign that he at least still had some sort of control over the outcome of the day.

"See Rick! What were you expecting," Negan sneered, "I _saved_ all of these people. My people live today _because_ I SAVED them. Can you say the same? Bringing all these people here to die? Is that what you call being a good leader? A good father? A good husband? Why won't you let me _SAVE_ you? I still can! I've already saved one of yours already. See Eugene here? Living and breathing all that smart oxygen. We can end this right here and now with the minimum amount of damage. Help me save your people. All you need to do is say yes." He almost sounded sincere in his plea to Rick. He even sounded convinced that Rick's surrender was exactly the right course of action.

"Say yes huh," Rick didn't look remotely like he was considering the notion but he had time to kill, "Say yes to what exactly? Yes to you bein' a murderin' bastard thief? A rapin' sociopath bent on destruction? Who exactly have you saved? Or did you mean SLAVED? Cuz that's what I see from here. A bunch of slaves to a madman. And I for one am not ready to say yes to any of that. What about you hon? You want to say yes to slavery?"

Michonne didn't even break her cold stare from Negan when she answered, "Do I LOOK like I'm the 'Yes to slavery' type babe?"

"No baby, no you don't. Well there you have it Negan," Rick yelled back, "That's a hard no. Matter of fact, I do believe I'm pretty much done talkin'." Rick motioned to turn around as if he were actually making moves to leave and Negan tightened his grip on his bat. He almost started to send a shoot order when Rick turned swiftly back around, "Well now since you mentioned him, Eugene! Is he right? You feel _saved_?"

Eugene cowered back a bit and looked for all the world like he wanted to be anywhere but in that moment with all eyes, most of them filled with hate and a particular set of browns held nothing but disappointed disgust, on him. "Well… uh Rick, I can most assuredly say that my treatment at this facility has been not over par and not under par. They… erm… did provide me with pickles. I admit, I had not sufficiently appreciated my partiality to said sour delicacy prior to the ending of the world as we know it."

Negan's look of incredulity at Eugene's response was almost too much for Rick as he tilted his head and said, "Pickles aside Eugene. Do. You. Feel. Saved."

Eugene let out a long breath, "I do now Rick."

At the sound of Rick's name several body's flew down from the Sanctuary's roof as a loud tempoed voice blasted through the speakers that had been placed around the building.

 _ **Let the bodies hit the floor**_

 _ **Let the bodies hit the floor**_

 _ **Let the bodies hit the floor**_

 _ **Let the bodies hit the floor**_

A heavy drum beat sounded, accompanied by the screech of an electric guitar and a guttural scream exploding through the surround sound. But even that barely overpowered the sound of two loud explosive crunches as the metal of two trucks met the concrete walls on each side of the building, sending the walls crashing in to make gaping holes.

Rick took a brief look upwards to see Morgan peering down from the roof, blood dripping from the sharpened tip of his staff. Rick gave a solemn nod upwards as Jesus, Tobin and a few of the Kingdom's men approached the edge to look down at the baffled expressions of Arat and Negan's lieutenants. Negan, stunned momentarily into blessed silence, took in the splattered bodies before him as he felt the breeze from Eugene's hasty exit back into Sanctuary. The remote was still in his shaking hand.

A moment was all Rick needed as he cocked the M1 Carbine semi-automatic he had slung over his shoulder and with one last look over to Michonne he aimed and began to spray bullets towards the front of the building. All around him shots began firing and gunsmoke began to fill the air.

 _ **Beaten why for**_

 _ **Can't take much more**_

 _ **One, something's got to give**_

 _ **Two, something's got to give**_

 _ **Three, something's got to give now**_

"Hold your positions," Rick yelled to his people, "Continue covering fire, until they start retaliatin'." Rick's eyes never left the black blur of a leather jacket in motion as it ducked as soon as the first shot was fired. Rick saw Negan through the smoke take refuge behind a cement barricade with Arat. _Good. Stay low you bastard. I want you on the ground until I can get to you,_ Rick's mind raced with the possibilities of escape that he hoped he had covered.

"We're in." A crackly voice announced over the walkie talkie at his waist.

"Alright! Get heavy with the cover fire," Rick yelled as he moved under flying bullets to the nearest armored car. With Michonne at his side and Ezekiel, Jerry and Carol on the other they each reached for the special handles welded to the sides of the corrugated steel and pulled hard. The pieces slid forward essentially providing a barrier. This same maneuver was happening at several vehicles and once each team had their makeshift shields under the hailstorm of gunfire Rick yelled, "PUSH FORWARD NOW!"

With all the coordination of a Spartan army of 300, the shielded teams marched forward.

 _ **Push me again**_

 _ **This is the end**_

 _ **Here we go, here we go, here we go**_

As the crazed beat of the music blasted into the air a wall of mottled metal pushed through the chain link fence that proved to be no match for the force it was under. Once they were through the now naked cars started up behind them and moved toward the wall to be hastily redressed with their metal protection. The coordination it took to get this well timed maneuver was not lost on Negan or the hollow eyes glaring down from the window.

"We're in too," Rick yelled into the walkie talkie. He was crouched down behind one of the cars to reload when the first returning shot hit the dirt dangerously close to his left foot.

His gun fully reloaded, and his right hand went up in halt fire position as he waited for the enemy fire to slow down signaling their pause to reload. The moment a slight lull happened he shouted, "They're returnin' fire now! Everyone! Keep it together! Keep it tight! And remember what I said! SURVIVE!"

He brought his hand down and charged forward, standing proud, finding the black leather in his sights and moved straight towards it with determination in his eyes and hell at his side, back and front.

 **A/n**

 **First off want give you a heads and big shout out to thematsaidwelcome and tigerwalk (I got the name right Tiger?) for supplying me with music to write destruction and mayhem too. The song in this last chapter is "Let The Bodies Hit The Floor" performed by Drowning Pool and written by Songwriters Stephen Benton, Michael Luce, C.J. Pierce and David Williams. If you haven't heard this put it on and tell me you don't feel like throwing an axe at a certain leaning diagonal demagogue of the apocalypse. Just me... fine.**

 **Now my favorite part of the update, my big thanks to all the new followers and your amazing reviews!**

 **courtgirl26 I was hoping to get Rick's pitch just right and thank you for saying it was powerful. We all know Negan cray-cray. He got no business being a cray cray as he is but he bout to find out where cray cray gets him. And thank you and firefly-class, RBGzMom, chezza3009 and rumark24 for allowing me my bit of creative license in my character of Marie. She was special to me write about and I'm so happy I got her and Red Bottoms all up in the piece!**

 **and yes rumark24 we ALL know why Rick is finally looking so relaxed. I think an entire forest of people know. Especially poor Kang and Carol.**

 **amberjoy38 and flacagonzales y'all always come ready for war! and I hope I didn't disappoint to much! At least shots fired this time! More war to come.**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne no pressure at all. I'm enjoying writing for you and all my readers so much but you do give me a special kind of life with your reviews tho. :-)**

 **aw my SDub comewithnattah your reviews are like reading a whole other story. I want to collect each one of them and make a mixtape** **compilation** **for you. One that will soothe that broken knuckle *winks hard at my awesome SDub***


	24. Chapter 24

**TWENTY FOUR**

"You alright over there," Carl asked in a hushed tone, trying as hard as he could to breathe through his mouth and ignore the deathly stench wafting from his walker guts poncho.

Roland looked at the young man with disbelief written all over his face. Was he alright? No he most assuredly was not "alright", holding the leash of three armless and jawless dead men, his clothes covered in the putrid innards of another walker. He was in the middle of pondering his current life choices before he was interrupted by the inquisitive questioning of the kid with the somber, mature eye.

"I am… present," was his only response, leaving Carl to nod his head in contrition. They both knew this was definitely not an "alright" situation to be in no matter how you saw it. He had his own leashed pet walkers to deal with and they seemed to be getting agitated, sensing their fellow dead mere feet away from them in the truck they were standing behind.

"Shouldn't be long now. Once we hear the signal everything is probably going to move pretty fast," Carl tried to keep the tremor from his voice in hopes that he sounded as confident and calm as he could hear in Michonne and his father's discourse with Negan. His pride in his parents swelled each time he heard either of them respond to Negan's quips. He could only just hear them from his current position but the bravery in their voices carried through to him all the same. Gone were the beaten spirits from that night of terror in the forest. Gone were the bent knees cowering to the power of a megalomaniac with a barbed wire baseball bat, staring in numbing terror as two of their own were massacred in front of them. Gone were the defeated man and woman begging for a reprieve, for mercy, for their son's hand. Now he could hear the strength of the resolve to avenge the horrors of that night, carried on the wind in the voices of the two people who mattered to him most. The two people he admired most and who he strived to make proud. Like his father said, he was determined to survive this night. Survive this world if only to assure his own place as heir to those two warrior voices.

He took a few steps towards the side of the truck, dragging his walker pets with him. His blue eye met Gavin's in the reflection of the side view mirror and they both nodded as the anticipation built with each second that ticked by. Carl was no longer wary of the Savior, an enemy turned ally, and couldn't deny him when he practically begged to be on Carl's team for this last part of their journey towards war. Gavin insisted he be behind the wheel which drew some ire amongst the leadership. Especially Maggie who point blank asked "Why in hell's tarnation should we trust you to do this right?" Carl stood up for him again, pointing out that Gavin had had many chances to betray them since their first encounter with him at the STASH. If there was a good reason, it was that and Dwight's full disclosure that Gavin was indeed part of the rebellious contingent. In fact Gavin was one of the first Saviors he had even considered when it came to recruiting for the dangerous task of double agency. Maggie gave in but not without the obligatory "One wrong move and you'll be dead before you can blink" threat that Gavin was waiting for.

"What, no squint with that threat?" he quipped back to Maggie. All he got for a response was a painful smack to the back of the head from Daryl. It didn't escape his notice that Jesus was forced to gently restrain Maggie, whose arm had quickly aimed her silver Smith & Wesson Snub revolver directly at Gavin's "smart ass mouth."

The muddled thuds of numerous bodies hitting the ground and the speakers coming to life around them swiftly mobilized Gavin, Carl and Roland. Stiffening the backs of the latter two while the former slammed his foot on the gas of the truck.

 _Atta boy, Eugene_ , Carl thought. He watched Gavin use the truck as a battering ram against the wall of the building, followed by what he assumed was the other truck doing its own destructive part on the other side.

Waiting to see Gavin hastily limping his way from the truck's cab, Carl nodded to Roland and they moved forward to the back of the truck dragging their walkers in chains with them. With a silent prayer to whoever was listening Carl took a deep breath and released the lock of the back truck door while Roland stood beside him to slide the tailgate upwards with a mighty push. Quickly dodging the first gray, putrid hand that instantly grabbed for him, Carl jumped back and pushed his pets to his looked to see Roland already doing the same. The precarious safety of the camouflage from their walking dead companions and the guts-ponchos seemed to be working momentarily. Following the horde of meandering corpses jockeying for a way out of their dark prison, the trans beat from Eugene's remote controlled speakers called to the few senses that kept the rotting, soulless flesh animated. As he and Roland blended in with the herd, Carl's eyesight tried to adjust to the cement dust-filled air while they made their way into the lower floor of the Sanctuary.

 _ **Put on your war paint**_

 _ **You are brick tied to me that's dragging me down**_

 _ **Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground**_

 _ **We are the jack-o-lanterns in July**_

 _ **Setting Fire to the sky**_

 _ **Here, here comes this rising tide so come on**_

 _ **Put on your war paint**_

Through the dust he spied Eugene running up the stairs to assist a limping Gavin while fiddling with the remote. The blaring music seemed to become more concentrated and directional, leading the walkers coming from both sides of the building to the center of the factory floor. Carl chuckled at the hillbilly genius mind of Eugene to think of the perfect soundtrack to wage war to. He only had a moment to wonder before he heard the rush of booted footsteps coming from several points within the building. He heard the gunshots before he saw the Saviors who had come to a surprised halt the moment they saw the monstrous magnitude of what had been unleashed into their home. Amongst the maddening sound of shots gone wild, Carl could hear cries ranging from the exultant "THIS IS IT! KILL 'EM ALL!" to the despairing "What the fuck? This is it. They're gonna kill us all!" Carl was armed with his gun but it was his favorite machete he had at the ready once he and Roland were far enough in to do what he had to do. They had one mission and if it could be helped the only killing he would be doing would be to the ones that were already dead.

 _ **So we can take the world back from the heart-attacked**_

 _ **One maniac at a time we will take it back**_

 _ **You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start**_

 _ **So dance along to the beat of your heart**_

Letting the wave of bodies carry them, Carl & Roland bided their time until the bullets flying over their heads became a little too close for comfort. Carl turned to Roland one final time, dropped the chains binding him to his pets that had fulfilled their use to him and yelled "NOW!"

 _ **Hey Youngblood doesn't it feel like our time is running out**_

 _ **I'm going to change you like a remix**_

 _ **Then I'll raise you like a phoenix**_

 _ **Wearing all vintage misery**_

 _ **No I think it looked a little better on me**_

 _ **I'm going to change you like a remix**_

 _ **Then I'll raise you like a phoenix**_

 _ **Put on your war paint**_

As coordinated as two people who barely knew each other could be (not to mention one of them barely knowing the plan), they cut a path through the dead ahead of them. Stabbing and slashing into soft yielding flesh, they pushed the fallen dead aside to get to the nearest staircase landing. From his position, Gavin took out Saviors and the animated dead alike, providing cover fire from his twice borrowed Colt M16.

Gavin had recognized the Savior markings on the gun immediately when Carl handed it over to him earlier that day. The irony did not escape him as he picked off each of his former Savior compatriots with the same gun Carl stole on his ill-fated suicide mission to take Negan out himself. He had heard about the one-eyed psycho son of the equally psycho cowboy rebel who had come to the Sanctuary. He had been impressed then, not only because the boy had survived his dangerous encounter with Negan but because of the admiration in his then boss' voice in the retelling.

" _Man you should've seen this kid! Walking in here like he's got a twelve inch dick swingin' from his tween balls! Shouting about how he was here to kill me. Me! Hmph… imagine that."_

Gavin remembered imagining that exact scenario. Imagining how it all could've ended at the end of some stupid kid's gun. Yeah, irony abounded from then 'til where he stood now waiting to see if that same kid's father would finish the job his son had started.

As Carl and Roland got closer to Gavin and Eugene, hacking bodies and ducking flying bullets, Gavin spotted several Saviors coming in through the front entrance. It was a small group of his fellow outpost leaders, returning fire on the fighters that were successfully forcing them back into the building.

"Carl! They're coming," he yelled with so much urgency he caught the attention of Arat, who recognized it over the din of moans and snarls. She immediately targeted Gavin and pressed her trigger with all the rage of a woman scorned, hate and betrayal in her eyes for the traitor amongst them. Gavin could do nothing but duck and wait to return covering fire. Eugene just flat out lay down on the floor and covered his head with his hands as the bullets whizzed over him. Carl spotted Gavin crouching and turned to see Arat shooting. At the sight, he thought nothing of getting his berretta out of its holster, taking steady aim, and pulling his trigger. The resounding shot caught Arat in the shoulder. It also caught the attention of a nearby walker that swiveled instantly at the loud sound and grabbed Carl by his collar, slobbering it's disgusting bile down his neck as Carl struggled to get out of its deathly grasp. Gavin couldn't take aim fast enough. He was swiftly blocked by Roland, who had pulled his machete out of another walker corpse and with a swift chop, ended the creature's life.

Carl barely had a moment to recover when he turned to see two pairs of hands reach each side of Roland. One pair grabbed at his shoulder while the other scratched deeply into Roland's throat, drawing bright red blood from the shallow wounds. Wounds that were instantly covered by a snarling mouth full of ragged teeth ripping the skin from Roland's throat. Blood sprayed over Carl's face and coated his top half, adding to the guts and muck of the undead.

The scent from the free flowing blood was like the ringing of the dinner bell, and _my oh my_ the herd was starving.

Carl had seconds to decide whether to show Roland mercy from the horror of being eaten alive or kill the murderous, brainless things doing their best to finish their meal before they had to share. Roland saw Carl's momentary hesitation and used his remaining strength to make the decision for the kid. Already resigned to his fate from the first tearing feel of the bite in his neck, Roland decided to make this last bit of his heavy sad existence count for something. Raising his machete, he stabbed backward into the head of the walker at his neck, sinking the blade right into the empty hole where its eye had been in another life. With no hesitation in his movement he thrust his head back into the walker that was pulling at his shoulder. The walker fell back hard to the ground, coordination not being a skill of any walker to date. Once free of the monster on his back, Roland brought his machete down and gave Carl a memory that would be forever burned in his mind. With an almost unnatural sounding scream of pain, Roland had severed his own hand and began waving it around.

"Come! Here you evil shits," he yelled as he backed into the fray of shuffling decomposing bodies.

"Go Boy," were his last words to Carl as the copious amounts of blood he was losing from both the wound in his neck and his stump of a left arm drew every walker within a foot of him like slobbering dogs. In the three minutes that Carl stood watching one of the most horrifying acts of bravery he'd seen in his short life, Eugene and Gavin had made their way down the landing to drag Carl back the short distance to the stairway.

"I don't know who that was," Eugene panted as he struggled to help Carl rid himself of the guts-poncho, "But I am positive I am never going to forget what he just did in the face of your imminent demise."

Carl only nodded, distracted by the memory of Roland, buried under the weight of about twenty walkers all vying to get a literal piece of him. Carl could only hope that they consumed him entirely, not wanting to have to face the shell of the man later. The only way to thank him then would be to separate his head from the rest of his body.

"Judgin' by my extensive knowledge of the chords we're hearin' now, I surmise that we shouldn't linger here much longer," Eugene said, "We should continue our way to the worker's domiciles to complete our task: Liberatin' those in need of liberation from this precarious state of unrest."

Both Gavin and Carl, already used to Eugene's unique form of communication, agreed with the notion of getting the hell out of there. It was time to accomplish the mission they had lost another life for. As they turned to head further up the stairs they heard the song change and again Carl shook his head at Eugene's DJing prowess.

 _ **This is wartime, this is our time, we won't be denied**_

 _ **Feed the fire that is raging inside**_

 _ **This is go time, this is showtime, we will fight 'til their wills are broken**_

 _ **This is game time, an insane time, let the madness fly**_

 _ **Show them strength that just can't be defied**_

 _ **Find the power to devour, let the beast inside now be woken**_

 _ **In this world only the strong will survive**_

 _ **Hear the roar and you will know you're alive**_

 _ **Feel the energy build in your soul 'cause it's time**_

Rosita pulled her army cap off and swiped her sweat drenched hair under and away from her face. She put it back on backwards and adjusted her rifle's sight, scoping the area from her position on the roof of the trusty old Cadillac. After helping with the makeshift barricade she, Eric and Aaron had zigzagged to separate cars and got into sniping position. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Saviors shooting at them would run out of bullets and it was their job to _make_ them run out.

Watching the shattered windows like a hawk, she could see the melee of walkers distracted by the musical overload. The blaring music had stopped booming from the outside speakers only to be concentrated primarily on the inside of the factory. It could still be heard from where she was positioned, reeling from the fact that Eugene was not entirely the cowardly enemy she thought he was. She could only cite divine intervention when her gun jammed earlier while she had him in her sights during the back and forth between him and Rick. If only he knew how close he was to losing the top of that stupid, well maintained mullet.

She didn't know why she wasn't privy to Eugene's part in the plan but she tried to understand in the midst of the chaotic gun smoke and screams surrounding her. She could _almost_ understand. At least, she had an inkling.

Prior to her suicide mission that left Sasha a casualty of her faulty bullheadedness, she had proven time and again that she could not be trusted. Deep down, she knew she wasn't stable. Her unpredictable actions were driven by rage. From lashing out constantly at any and everyone to her bat desecrating bullet causing Eugene to get shanghaied, she _almost_ understood why Michonne and Rick left out the part about Eugene being their Trojan Horse.

But _almost_ didn't make it alright. Didn't make her feel any less conflicted after seeing her last threadbare connection to Abraham do what she thought he did best. Protecting his own ass. Standing behind Abraham's murderer like he couldn't still hear the sound of the bat bludgeoning the one connection they shared to nothing in his waking dreams. After thinking he was a cowardly piece of shit for so long and wanting to murder him on sight for his lack of loyalty, she couldn't fathom the thought that he was still with them. Still fighting for them in his own ingeniously weird way. She wanted to feel relief that some semblance of the man's newfound bravery brought on by Abraham's death when he stepped up to Negan and declared he was the bullet maker was still there. Only to have those hopes dashed when she heard with her own ears him declare he _was Negan_ only a few days later. Her mind, however, was still grappling with her grief and anger to feel anything close to relief.

The adrenaline pulsing through her only exacerbated the battle going on in her mind as she tried to take part in the battle going on all around her. Shaking her head to get some clarity, she focused again through her gun's sight, scoping the layout through the haze for a clear target. She could see through her scope that there was no shortage of enemies to pick from. She pulled her trigger to dispatch a Savior before he could hit the moving targets of Michonne and Rick's marching forms. Once she saw the head of the leather clad son of a bitch explode she moved onto the crowd of walkers moving inside. One decaying body fell victim to one of her deadly bullets as it grabbed for Eugene's leg.

 _I stay saving your life,_ she mused feeling a bit of the relief her brain was seeking in the midst of its mental turmoil. At the end of the day she could at least say that she still had his back, now that she knew he still had theirs.

 _ **This is wartime, this is our time, we won't be denied**_

 _ **Feed the fire that is raging inside**_

 _ **This is go time, this is showtime, we will fight 'til their wills are broken**_

 _ **This is game time, an insane time, let the madness fly**_

 _ **Show them strength that just can't be defied**_

 _ **Find the power to devour, let the beast inside now be woken**_

 _ **In this world only the strong will survive**_

 _That country fried piece of shit just might get me,_ Negan thought as he crouched down beside the smoking car serving as his only barrier between him and the enemy at his gates. His grip tightened on his favorite girl Lucille while worst case scenarios went through his head. The thought of dying, _now_ , here at the end of the world at the hands of that Cowboy bastard being the one that rankled him the most. Negan really could not fathom the how's and the why's, and that pissed him right the fuck off.

Why didn't Rick just lay down like all the rest, Negan wondered even while he tried to devise a way to either talk or kill his way out of his current position. He really thought he had him that night. He _saw_ the defeat in those blue eyes staring back at him; heard it clear as day in the broken voice begging him not to have to maim the kid. Negan wasn't going to let Rick chop his own son's arm off but he had to stomp the pride and defiance out of the man who defeated a swarm of the dead just to retrieve his axe.

Negan had never seen that kind of sheer malice and pride in any of the groups he had conquered before. He knew that night that if he was going to maintain his existence under the status quo this particular man needed breaking, swiftly and without mercy. Rick was no run of the mill hick trying to survive. No, Negan knew that EVERYONE needed to see his spirits crushed. Not just Negan's assorted group of mayhem starters but _**all**_ the groups that he had "saved" would hear about this one man's defeat and there would be no further obstacles to overcome.

No more disgruntled rumblings amongst the workers of the Sanctuary. They could get on with the business of living out the new fucked up normal. This new normal needed you to be brutal in order to survive it and Negan had used brutality to teach that lesson. That's how to survive and that's how he saved each and every one of the people under his care.

Instead here Rick was. Not the least bit defeated. Leading the way into _his_ Sanctuary. Brutality in those ice blue eyes. The same lesson Negan had been trying to teach turned on its ear against the teacher himself. _No, fuck that fucking shit,_ Negan thought, _I'm not going down to him. No Fucking Way._

He hazarded a quick look through the shattered car window only to have a piece of shrapnel tear a chunk of skin from his cheek. Another bullet came piercing through the car door, hit inches away from face, and ricocheted into the wall in front of him.

" _NEGAN_ ," Rick roared, "Yeah I see ya! You gonna come out and stop all this? Finally do what you're always sayin' you do? Save the rest of your people? Only one person has to die today!"

Negan bristled at the Rick's blatant usage of his mantra, "Well look at you Ricky Dicky! Coming in here with your big dick swingin'. Think you're a man now," he yelled over his shoulder while another bullet pinged against the car.

Michonne had had just about enough of this man and all his phallus related commentary with regard to her man. She purposely missed the top of his head with her shot but wanted to make sure it was close enough to shut him up finally. Unfortunately, Negan wasn't in the "shutting up" mood.

"You think you're man enough to take over Rick," Negan had enough of cowering, something he had sworn he would never do in this new world, "If you want to _be_ the man you gotta _beat_ the man."

Music to Rick's ears.

The gunshots from the Saviors' dwindling arsenal began to lessen. Only the rising sound of moans from the undead could be heard under the music blasting from the Sanctuary's first floor.

"Sounds good to me," Rick tilted his head and held up his right hand to stop the shooting on his side behind him, "Sounds _damn_ good to me. You comin' out … or do I have to come get the MAN myself?"

Negan blew out a long breath and stood as the dust began to settle. He holstered his gun and stood, resting on his other hand with Lucille on the roof of the car wreck that was protecting him.

"Well here I am Rick. Come and get me."

 **A/N Song credits first before I get to the goodness that are you my awesome readers:**

 **The Phoenix - Songwriters Andy Hurley, Butch Walker, Joe Trohman, Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, performed by Fall Out Boy - thank you to tigerwalk for being my ASCAP and bringing a war song I can jam/write too.**

 **Immortalized: Songwriters: Dan Donegan, David Draiman, Kevin Churko, Mike Wengren, performed by Disturbed - thank you to DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne for this bit of madness. How perfect was this song y'all?**

 **Helloooooo out there in the Richonne Fandom and my beloved Readers! Ok, here is where I apologize for the long break between updates. Full disclosure: Not gonna lie but this chapter took a lot. Took me some writer soul searching, some introprection and then... took me a break. I had to get my thoughts together and put finger to laptop to bring you something that I thought was worthy of your dedicated readership. If this chapter felt a little different then that's where it came from. I hope it felt right for you and I'm hoping it is showing my progression. Brrrrbbbttt ok enough of the sentimental navel gazing shite and let's get to you... My personal favorite part of updates if I do say so myself.**

 **Welcome, bienvenue, wilkommen lovemesumRick hawajulaybibcar and Richnonne4Life and all my new faves, followers and reviewers. It's so exciting when I get a new follow and I can see you discovering my little story from a new eyes. It's like a little bit of fireworks in my inbox.**

 **BTW, yes I have receipts HAWA! That car scene is in fact very doable! Plus she's Michonne the goddamn Queen! Trees and moving vehicles ain't got nothing on her.**

 **R4Life your every chapter reviews are awesome. I can't wait until you get to this chapter! Team Michita IS bad AF and I love them. The show writers be killing me with how they just blatantly ignore the female relationships in this show. They fling in a random hug between Maggie and Michonne every 8 episodes and they're all like "NAILED IT!" Nah son... you didn't.**

 **amberjoy38 CarribeanQueen Firefly-class How y'all liking the war so far? Still excited? Hope so. I know I ain't killed that leaning ass bastard yet ... asking forgiveness... again.**

 **jerkchickenz how fast could Eugene have been moving ya know. I wanted Negan to feel that breeze because that was the wind of change man. Your reign is over.**

 **courtgirl26 Rick MoFo Grimes on a mission is not someone like Negan should ever want to meet and here he go, prodding the tiger. Stupid. I hate him. I really need for Negan to know slavery ain't how Richonne gets down son. amiright** **flacagonzales**

 **RBGzMom I got a question for you mama: Where my Day Of Our Richonne as The World Turns Dynasty at? Asking for a friend. you my all star too.**

 **sophiasown oh Sophia Sophia Sophia ain't that a pretty name. I love and adore you. Your reviews and your friendship has been a boon in a sea of uncertainty for me. Thank you. Still and 5Ever**

 **Chezza3009 girl I know how it is when I miss so many updates but glad you got updated on the last chapter. Thank you so much!**


	25. Chapter 25

**TWENTY-FIVE**

Can you see him," King Ezekiel whispered to his reticent companion.

Daryl gave a noncommittal grunt that could barely be heard over the muted 'thwunk' of the release of his crossbow. Some distance away the body of a Savior fell noisily from the camouflaged platform that served as one of the few remaining lookout points dotting the perimeter of the Sanctuary.

"That answer your question," Daryl replied, still disgruntled that he had been paired with the usually loquacious leader of the Kingdom.

"Why yes," Ezekiel chortled, "It would seem that does indeed." He raised his binoculars up to peer through, shaking his silver locked head, wondering not for the first time how he found himself paired with the sullen biker. If he'd had his druthers he'd have stayed by Carol's side on her mission to provide her own brand of shock and awe to the day's events. He had understood the reasoning; her skill lay in her unassuming stature that many made the mistake of taking for granted. He understood, but he didn't like it. He liked it even less that him and his beloved tigress, who seemed to have taken a shine to the leather vested man, were sitting together away from the rest of his team. Everyone else flanked the perimeter in pairs, looking for any hidden sniper nests like the one they'd just discovered.

"You wanna make some more noise over there," Daryl grumbled, taking the King away from his worrisome thoughts, "Your eight-hundred-pound cat's makin' it through these woods just fine without lettin' every Savior within ten feet o'here know our position."

Ezekiel chuckled derisively, already deciding to take a different tact on getting to know his new unkempt partner in arms. "Yes, Shiva is indeed a wondrous creature. Her natural predilection for stealth is in her bones. I am honored as well as unworthy that she has chosen me as her noisy compatriot as we traverse this desiccated world together."

Daryl grunted. He could think of another 'wondrous creature' this blowhard was unworthy of but he kept that to himself, deciding instead to snark back, "Yeah, them big words ain't makin' you any quieter."

Ezekiel continued unfazed, "Our common, beauteous connection would no doubt agree with you on my loquacious audacity as well. It seems to me that you both have many similarities… although prior to your appearance within the kingdom that fateful day with Rick, she has never mentioned your particular commonalities… then or of late." Knowing that would give his disgruntled partner at least a bit to think on, the king proceeded a few steps further on their wooded path around the perimeter of the Sanctuary, leaving Daryl behind him.

Daryl was used to people underestimating his mental capacity and usually took him for a hick hillbilly. Usually, he was fine with uppity city folks making 'ASSumptions' about him. His whole life before the turn had taught him that being quiet meant not getting hit with the verbal and physical abuse that was part and parcel of growing up a Dixon. But it also meant being privy to a certain kind of skill in reading people. You learned a lot about people when they spoke _around_ you. When they didn't think your presence was enough to warrant decorum so they used their big words and their citified snobbishness to show their real selves all while they treated the 'dumb hick' like he was invisible. Because to them, he was. Good enough to fix their cars, and nobody enough that they felt comfortable being snide in their out-loud voices about how he was probably the byproduct of some backwoods incestuous relationship. Good enough to take them swampin' so they could fulfill their good ol' boy fantasies of 'wishin' they were in Dixie'. Meanwhile, missing the irony entirely that it was a tried and true Dixie man with roots just as deep and twisted as the gnarled Georgia Tupelos that sank deep in the murky waters he led them through.

Listening to Ezekiel drone on about supposed 'commonalities' had the desired effect of driving Daryl to take a beat and ruminate on why _she_ hadn't mentioned him, even in passing. Not that he was all that surprised. Carol wasn't what you would call the chatty housewife type no matter what the old guard at Alexandria thought when she was donning those terrible sweater sets and baking cookies. But now he knew the Kingdomers saw her as a one-woman war machine more likely to don the Kindgom-made armor and more likely to fire up a truck full of walkers than an oven.

Besides, what would she even have had to say about who he was to her? Heck, he'd be hard pressed to define exactly what they were to each other. He just knew when he thought of her, it was of who she was when they first met. It was of how that timid, quiet woman who took her husband's punches and cried desperately in his arms at the heart-wrenching sight of her dead daughter as a soulless walker transformed into the determined, downright terrifying force of nature she'd become. He felt nothing but admiration, a whole lot of pride, and for some reason a feeling of overwhelming protectiveness for that diminutive sparkplug of a woman. The very fact that she didn't appear to need anyone's protection made his need to protect that fire he knew was burning in her even more. How could _this_ silly ass dude know the armor that she used to shelter her soul, although tough, wasn't impenetrable? How had "The King" come to know that it housed a delicate balance of will, determination and hurt only Daryl could see up until now? It was the same determination and hurt Daryl knew she saw in him. It was their own secret to keep. Naw, he wasn't surprised at all by the side-talk, and he wasn't going to be bothered by Ezekiel's assumptions that he could be pushed so easily. What did bother him was the man's audacity to keep implying that they shared anything that had to do with Carol.

"The only connection we gonna be makin' is my bow to your jaw if you don't keep it down." Daryl tired of the man making all the unnecessary noise in the world, "Seein' as how you don't know much 'bout me, know that I ain't got no problems with leaving your ass – shit get down!"

The spray of droplets of blood hit Daryl's face before he could finish his hurried warning. Ezekiel's body lunged forward with the force of the bullet that hit him. Then all hell broke loose around them as Daryl caught the King's body and they both came tumbling down together onto the forest floor.

###

Carol turned her head at the sound of the shot in the distant dark. Too close to her to be the barrage that was taking place in the looming Sanctuary in the distance. Too close to be anywhere but where she had separated from her two men. Neither of which she was willing to lose to the likes of the scum she had just dispatched silently with her bowie knife. The dead stare still looked flummoxed at the very thought that this little woman, who had made her way to his perch and had her knife buried deep in his brain stem before he even had the time to contemplate the blood dripping from his sliced throat. Carol watched as the body dropped and then calmly retrieved her knife.

New shots rang out as she turned to climb her way down the rope ladder that was secured to the wooden hole cut into the platform of the lookout perch. She practically jumped the last few feet, bypassing the last few rungs to hit the packed dirt forest ground below. She nimbly hopped over the two bodies that Aaron and Eric had kindly dispatched for her and ran as fast as her feet could take her towards the almighty roar that sounded above the riotous noises of screams and gunfire. She was now quite familiar with that reverberating snarl signaling Shiva's unbridled rage. That very distinctive sound could only mean that either Ezekiel had unleashed the mighty fury of his beloved pet or that he was in danger. Either option caused Carol's mind to tunnel vision as she sprinted, barely noticing the footfalls that fell into step beside her.

"Shiva is _pissed_ ," Aaron gasped breathlessly as he caught up to Carol with Eric not far behind him. He glanced at Eric to make sure he was able to keep up with them and felt nothing but pride as he was met with his lover's challenging grin keeping up right next to him.

"Never thought I'd see the day I'd be running toward a pissed tiger," was Eric's only reply. The thought that they were running towards more than just an agitated wild animal was not lost on either of them but it never faltered their hurried steps. All three of them dashed determinedly through the forest, ducking low branches and expertly hopping any roots that would have tripped them up. All three knew that they were running straight into a moment in time that they might not get past, yet still, they ran. All three ran hard into the darkness, each hoping there was going to be light at the end and knowing that the light might not shine on all of them come the end of their journey.

###

Rick looked over to Michonne with a sardonic smirk. This grinning idiot, mockery dripping from his every pore as he stared back at Rick, really wanted to have a knock down drag out fight in the middle of a war of his own making. Well, if ax to bat combat was what it would take to rid this dead world of the leather-clad son of a bitch then that's what Rick was going to give him… if _she_ thought it was a good idea. One look to his right into the deep brown eyes that he would have happily stayed entranced by gave him all the answer he needed. He made the step across the short expanse that separated him from the inevitable destiny he had felt himself hurtling toward since the night he found himself on his knees begging for the life of his son, his woman and the rest of his family. With Michonne's unwavering support at his side, along with her razor-sharp sword, he made his way with the determined look of a man ready to meet that destiny head on.

Rick only got to take a few steps before he heard them. Short pops in the distance behind him that could only have been the familiar cadence of gunfire. Before he could take another step the dirt by his feet kicked up from the bullets hitting the ground around them halted him for the briefest of moments before he felt his arm pulled to the side and down. Pure instinct had him switch his gun to his left hand as he tumbled to the ground and let off a couple of rounds behind him. He landed on top of his own personal savior hard and the familiar rush of heat that was normally accompanied with being on top of his woman was upon him. He was greeted with the all too familiar fire coming from her glare and they both thought the same thought, ** _fight first, fun later_** , as more bullets flew over their entwined bodies. After a playful nudge of his hips into her and a quick grin in reply from her, he got to his knees, pulling her to a seated position to assess just what the fuck was going on behind them.

They watched as Rosita rolled off the top of a car, where she had been picking off walkers and whoever else inside the building that her bullets could hit. Michonne had a moment of worry that Rosita had been hit before she saw the baseball capped head pop up and turn to holler orders to her fellow shooters.

Immediately called to the action by the "Shit! Come on let's get what's left of those bastards!", the assorted members of the Hilltop, Kingdom and Alexandria contingent broke their positions to follow the running figure that led the way to where the shots were coming from. Ducking and diving as she ran with her ponytail flying in the wind behind her, Rosita evaded the bullets that flew past her. None questioned the lithe figure as she set the pace into the fields behind the barricade they had made with their armored cars, leaving Rick and Michonne to the task of dealing with Negan on their own.

"Oh Ricky," Negan snidely said, "You hear that? Well, I think it's the goddamn cavalry. Zippity doo dah. Zippity fuckin' yay!" _And about fucking time_ , Negan thought, momentarily grateful for a moment's reprieve from this shit show of a day. He maintained his stance behind the bullet ridden car, holding onto his beloved bat on the top of the car in one hand and his gun still pointed in the direction he had seen Rick and Michonne duck over to.

"Did you really think it would be that simple," he yelled, "Did you think that this was all the Negan that there was? Oh…tut tut tut… you country fried son of a gun. You shoulda taken the chance I gave you. That sound you hear is the sound of the end. Those shots you hear is the goddamn Amazin' Grace song at your funeral. Those screams are all your people that you could have let me save – arggghh..!" A searing pain hit him in his left shoulder. He turned his head to see the wooden handle of a knife sticking out of his back.

"Do you ever shut the fuck up?" Maggie sneered as she pulled the knife out of Negan's shoulder. She was pulled back just in time to miss the swing of the bat he flung out in defense, feeling the breeze of the barbed wire that covered the wood brush dangerously close to her face.

"Well, I'll be goddamned and fuck me sideways with a jackhammer! Widow Lady? Did you just… stab me in the goddamn back?" Negan stared at amazement at the fiery brunette fighting the strong embrace of Jesus wrapped around her.

"Let me at him," Maggie screamed in rage to Jesus who struggled to keep her in his grasp while keeping Negan in his sights. "Maggie! Calm down," Jesus pleaded instantly regretting his reluctant agreement to allow his de facto leader's plea to accompany him into the dangerous fray of the frontline. He tried to keep his arms from constricting her slightly bumped middle while her wiry form twisted and pulled to get to her husband's murderer. All of her convincing and pleading, everything short of ordering Jesus to 'just be close enough to help… and bear witness' flew out of the window the moment she set her bright eyes on the black leather and the glint of that damned bat.

They had made their way down from the roof with Eugene's soundtrack still blasting through the air. The noise and smoke of gunfire gave them sufficient cover to get them down to the front of the building unnoticed. Negan's voice was the first thing Maggie heard and her mind went blank with the red rage that he was still alive enough to issue his backhanded challenge to Rick. The cockiness in his barbs to Rick made her blind to anything past the red tinted rage rose with the bile in her throat.

 _He dared to be breathing_? He _dared_ to be glib and confident even, while the father of her child lay cold and rotting to dust and bones in a hole back at the Hilltop? _No! Today you pay! For you baby! For Glenn_ , were the only thoughts that played in her mind as she made the side step to get behind the bastard and thrust her knife with the full intent to kill. Her bloodthirst was only provoked more with the sight of the red rivulets that erupted when she pulled her knife from his flesh and would only be satisfied if she could just get … Jesus... to… let… her go.

Negan felt his opportunities seeping out of him from the deep wound left by the serrated knife. He watched perplexed for a moment at the almost comical struggle in front of him of the pregnant woman and Apocalyptic Lord and Savior lookalike. He only watched for a second before bringing his arm that held the wooden bat up to take advantage of the situation. He let out a sharp grunt when he felt his arm jolt forward before he could take the swing. His heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened at the shock of seeing his bat split to pieces in his hand. He felt his mind unravel.

"LUCIIIIILLLLLEEEEE!" Negan yelled as he stared at the splintered remains of his beloved bat laying feet away from him. He felt something in his very soul break as he looked down at the sharpened edge of a red handled ax that lay in the middle of the two pieces of now useless wood. Every memory, every moment that led up to this moment- his dead wife's smile... his first walker kill with that very same bat… and Rick. Giving Rick his bat to hold to show his cocksure dominance for everyone to see. Rick looking up at him in defiance as that bat swung hard and shattered the skulls of Rick's nearest and dearest. Rick looking defeated and on his knees with that goddamn red handled ax raised to do the unthinkable act of maiming his boy. Everything flew before Negan's eyes like a high speed montage of some horror movie that he couldn't stop from flickering through his mind's eye. Every other beat a flash of blue. The blue-eyed glare of Rick's came flashing into his vision. Rage and hate came unbidden and roared with the blood rushing into Negan's brain and all he could hear was the thunderous pounding of his own pulse.

'You! You son of a fuck whore! You killed her!" Negan turned to face him head on, knowing the direction of where the ax flew from, the owner of the axe was not far behind. And he was right. Rick was there, already crouched and running as he tackled Negan down to the hard ground. They landed with a hard grunt but neither took the time to appreciate the impact of their bodies hitting the hard packed dirt covered in bullet shells. Adrenaline pure and stinging, ran through both men's blood as each tried to get an advantage over the other while they rolled around pummeling each other. Their grunts heavy and labored, as they struggled to gain some purchase in their favor.

The wound in Negan's shoulder didn't seem to prevent him from throwing a punch to the side of Rick's jaw with enough force to rattle a few teeth. It may as well have been a mosquito bite. Rick's head barely glanced to the side before he delivered his own flurry of jabs to Negan's gut in quick succession. This was no tussle with some petty criminal from deputy days gone by. Rick wasn't trying to get Negan on his back to get him into cuffs. Rick had a mind to kill the bastard with his bare hands. Hands that made their way to Negan's throat. Hands that crossed the other's grasp from locking on his own throat. Both men grunted as they tried to block the other from getting a firm handhold on the other. Their legs kicked and tangled with each other in the struggle for dominance over the other.

Negan finally planted his two feet on the ground and in a quick movement he gave up the struggle to get to Rick's throat, opting in the next split second to use his arms to wrap around Rick's torso with a crushing bear hug. Rick could feel his ribs bruising under the pressure and Negan took advantage and used the ground for leverage to buck his upper body to push Rick onto his back. Pinning Rick down, he straddled Rick and grabbed his shirt collar to pull him up for another teeth rattling blow to Rick's jaw. This blow was not to be ignored, but the pain only gave fuel to the raging animal inside of Rick. The next punch of Negan's did not meet its target. Instead landing directly into Rick's open hand that caught it. He dug his nails into Negan's fist before twisting it out of his way to make way for the mind crushing headbutt to Negan's nose. Blood spurted over Rick's face from the broken cartilage as Negan's yowl of pain rang in Rick's ears when they both fell back from the impact.

"Fuuuckk, my nose! You corn poke bastard," Negan yelled as he scurried back with one hand covering his broken face and the other he used to struggle to his feet. Rick, still dazed from the force of his hard head meeting that hard nose got to his feet in a wobble that only his bow legs kept from toppling. Negan had just enough time to spit the saliva and blood that had gathered in his swelling jaw before he saw Rick make the short distance between them even shorter. He had no time to wait for his supposed cavalry to make it to him. He knew that this was it. This was the moment that it was either him or the man he faced with the burning hate and determination shooting from his cold blue eyes.

He was feeling the loss of blood acutely. He tried to think of one more trick that would buy him some time in order for his second string of fighters to finally break through the perimeter Rick's little army had made. Negan had started to doubt the secondary group would even have shown up the way this shit day was turning out. But he knew there was a possible light at that the end of this tunnel of crap when he heard the gunfire going off in the forest surrounding the Sanctuary. He just needed a little bit more time. Time, however, well, that was in short supply as he watched Rick stalk towards him.

His eye caught the glint of Michonne's sword as she circled to his left and briefly wondered again at Rick's unbelievable luck of having her at his side. The things they could have accomplished if he had her sword lying next to his bat when the world went tits up in a gasoline fueled handbasket. He heard the Widow's heavy breaths behind him and knew he was surrounded. Hell, even she was a special form of spectacular, stabbing him in the back like that. The thought that he had underestimated not only Rick with his country drawl and ragtag resistance but these women. These rugged, raw and beautiful women of Rick's group briefly gave him pause.

Sure, he had tough women Saviors. Women who could gut a grown man twice their size and shoot the dead with head shots so accurate and it would make your head spin. Hell, he'd seen Arat kill mercilessly on his mere quietly worded orders without batting an eyelash. But that was the difference he realized. Savior women took orders. Savior women did what they were told. They proclaimed they were Negan, sometimes with more zeal than their male counterparts and were twice as deadly. Not Rick's women though. The fire in their eyes showed they took orders for no man. They brought the fight with the blaze of a thousand suns, burning everything to ash, leaving their men to follow in their smoking hot wake.

Negan knew then and there that even if he did by some miracle manage to get Rick back on his knees that these women would never bend. They would never be 'Negan'. Once he got through with Rick he would have to kill them all for this to be well and truly over. They would rather be dead than be 'saved' by him. He knew he had no more tricks up his black leather sleeve. The trick was on him. The thought broke through and he couldn't help but begin to laugh maniacally. He laughed even as he finally realized how this day would pan out for him, cavalry or not. He laughed because he knew he was a dead man. He threw his head back and laughed louder, hysteria and pain breaking through each painful guffaw.

Rick stopped his advance abruptly as he watched Negan bent over in hysterics. He turned to look at Michonne who returned his perplexed look.

"You know what Rick?" Negan could barely get the words out between his laughter, "I gotta give it to you… I really think this shit show might just be over for me… haahhaaa… and the funny thing is… you think you won! Haaa.. haa… you think this world is gonna let you win… You think you and your people are gonna be safe. That's there's not gonna be … trouble like me just around the fuckin' corner just waiting for you! Ahahahahahahahhaa… you think…ungh –"

Time had run out.

Rick had made the two steps it took to finally get face to face to look crazy in the eye for one last time.

"Shut up," Rick said quietly as he twisted the knife he had pushed into Negan's belly. He grabbed Negan by the throat to bring his face close enough to kiss. Two pairs of eyes filled with hate for the other stared at each other until one pair began to go dim. With another twist and thrust of the steel blade, Rick tightened his grip on Negan's larynx for a painful moment before pushing Negan's bloodied face away from him in disgust. Negan's body dropped, his face staring up into nothingness as it leaked blood from the two wounds his body had sustained.

"Wow Rick…" he whispered, "heh… you… really… think you… won." The kick of Maggie's boot silenced him finally.

"Like the man said," Maggie said as stared down at him with her green eyes welling up, from relief or from some deep emotion that she couldn't quite name but felt almost like satisfaction, "Shut up."

 **WSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWWSWSWSW**

 **A/N: Remember that last A/N when I was all, "Sorry for the long break between updates..." man listen I am TRULY sorry for the longest break I've ever taken between updates. I have no excuse. I missed my Storyversary and everything. But let me tell y'all something: the notes and PM's I received asking for updates, especially my VERY FIRST Anon ASK on Tumblr gave me life. Your response to this story has utterly thrown me. And I'm a big girl... I'm hard to throw. Your support along with the awesome and wonderful support of the some of the best damn writers in this game who are now my Panda ride or dies has been something that I am gonna cherish for the rest of my life. I hope this chapter was worth the long wait. It's my longest to date and I really hope you enjoy it.**

 **Alright, enough of the sentimental... I can't do it for long because it makes my eyes water and I like my expensive mascara to stay put. On to your wonderful reviews.**

 **RGBzMom I'm a gift? Me? No ma'am! YOU are the gift! Providing me As The World Turns In The Scandal Of Richonne's Dynasty that you continue to keep gifting me with. As well as your wonderful messages. You the gift my dudette. YOU THE GIFT. The show can kiss my Big Beautiful Black ass. It's done so much wrong that I can't even say that I'm going to watch this season. I know. Its crazy after being so late to the fandom and now I can't bear to see what those - let's call them writers for lack of a better word (bastards, cowards, idiots... sorry I digress). did to the show and especially because of a certain Apocalypse LEAD is leaving... I can't... I'm just gonna stay in my fanfiction lane and live the rest of the series through the amazingly talented writers of the fandom.**

 **comewithnattah you are the moon of my life. Your reviews just about kill me every time. And yes, I SHONUFF know about the Last Dragon. Come on dawgs. I'm glad you like my Negan! I'm trying my best to make him as true to the character as I can without literal vom in my mouth because I hate him so much.**

 **amberjoy38 you make me blush. Pimple can go ahead and just you know... disappear from the face of the earth as far as I'm concerned. Thank you for thinking that my war is better than his sorry example of war. I should have known when he had Rick shooting and not hitting nothing but air that last season was going to be a bunch of BS but who would have thought he would do the unthinkable. I... I can't even. I hope his chokes... BIGLY**

 **Firefly-Class thank you. I can't tell you how bad I wanted to write. Rick point gun. Gun go bang bang. Michonne slice slice... War done. So the fact you liked my action is so appreciated.**

 **Courtgirl26 Well guess what? Negan learned TODAY bout Rick Mofo Grimes didn't he. Leaning ass bastard. God, I hate that character. Also, I love Carl and I'm blocking out why we have to miss him. Blocking it hard.**

 **Richonne4Life Oh. My. God. Your multiple binge reveiws came at a time when I really needed them. Thank you for your reviews that had me dying from laughter. I wish Rick would walk around naked more too... Sorry for scaring you about Daryl and about Roland :-( He went out like a beast tho right? And hey you know you can't be with the fam for long without getting the squint so I suspect Gavin will develop his soon. and "BEST. FIRST. RICHONNE. I LOVE YOU. EVER" SQueeeeeee! Thank you! I can't even. PS I don't think the tree thinks it was lucky at all.**

 **MannaRN Thank you so much for your awesomely detailed review and I hope this last did the characters justice. Poor Gavin... he's just happy to be there man. He can take the threats. I really needed to explore Rosita and Carol's characters because we all know the show wasn't gonna do it. I'm glad you enjoyed my take on what their mindsets were.**

 **DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne you still with me? Your reviews (not to mention the awesome song you suggested I use) mean so much to me. I just want to let you know that I've read them repeatedly whilst I was going through a mental block on this chapter. You inspired me to get it done. I'm sending you every hug in the world. Imma keep writing as long as you keep reading. Thank you thank you thank you.**

 **sophiasown your opinion matters so much to me. thank you for always giving me supportive feedback and I love how I actually feel the emotions you go through when you're reading my stories.**

 **CaribbeanQueen you happy with this last chapter. Enough mayhem for you? No mercy you said right? Did I get it right?**

 **NWFANMEGA you... you gift to my life. Your binge reviews were... I don't even have a word better than spectacular. Doesn't matter when you get to the party as long as you're having a good time is what I say. Your analysis of each chapter is by far some of the most insightful that I have ever received. I literally had to go through 2 tabs of all your reviews and each one made me giddy like a school girl. You erm... tell Daryl to shut up... ALOT. and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. Thank you for your wit and your insight and everything else that makes you an awesome SAMESIES but a very poor Sidechick. ;-) (had to do it)**

 **member00 SQUEEEEEEEEEE I am so happy you're reading my little story! I feel like I've finally arrived when I've got you in my review list! Thank you so much for each funny bit of feedback and can I say, I wish I had thought of "Trashzilla" my damn self!**

 **Flacagonzales viva1215 and all my new follows, faves and Guests I so appreciate your support and I hope you continue to enjoy the ride!**


	26. Chapter 26

**TWENTY-SIX**

"Not much farther now Carl," Gavin huffed as he, Carl and Eugene rushed through the hall of the upper level of the Sanctuary. Carl noticed that the rooms they passed all had their doors wide open and he could see that they were all empty. Their occupants had either entered the fray of the war outside or were still battling the living dead that he'd unleashed on the floors below.

Carl recognized the route they were taking from his own murder/suicide mission. It seemed like years ago, the last time he'd come here guns blazing, instead of the few months that had passed.

He had been so hellbent on exacting his revenge for all he had lost that horrible night in the forest; so determined to be the one to rid the world of Negan for all he had taken from them.

Watching the eldest Grimes resigned to their fate as slaves to the whims of a tyrant had shaken Carl's faith in his father to his core. The distance between Rick and Michonne only exacerbated his own anger and made it easier for Carl to put distance between himself and his dad. He couldn't escape the grief he felt from losing not only Glenn but the freedom they had just begun to taste after all The Family had gone through to get to Alexandria. The bit of ease that he had begun to feel, even after he lost his eye the night of the herd, had been obliterated with the first swing of that stupid goddamned bat.

Well, Carl wanted it all back. He was determined to _take it all back_ , however, he had to. At the time, killing Negan on a solo mission seemed like the only way. He failed.

Today was his second chance. Maybe he couldn't bring back the hope and light Glenn carried with him for Maggie's unborn. Maybe he couldn't bring back the fighting spirit they lost when Lucille bashed Abraham to kingdom come. Maybe Sasha's spunky attitude would still be gone forever. But Negan would be gone forever too if Carl had a say in it. Things didn't work out the way he wanted the day he snuck aboard that Savior truck with a murderous glint in his eye and a heart full of anguish. But today was a new day. Today, things worked just the way they were supposed to. His father deserved the retribution Carl was sure he was serving to Negan, cold, as it should be. As cold and merciless as Michonne's justice to Jadis just a few short hours ago.

Carl hoped the history that was written about today, and all the days leading up to it would show that it was not mere vengeance that drove him and his family to act as they did. That it would tell the story of redemption and the price that needed to be paid for the peace he hoped would follow. He hoped history told that the future so hard fought for him, his sister, and all those born into this damning life; the promise of tomorrow that was taken so brutally from so many; had come because of what his parents finished today. That's all Carl wanted at the end of the day as he ran through the so-called Sanctuary looking from room to room for some sign of life. Looking for any of the youth who would help build that future. They needed new people willing to help in the fight against the real enemy, the walking dead, instead of remaining the victims of a despot's reign.

Today, Carl intended to do his part to erect a future he could feel proud of helping create.

"If you bitches don't get your shit together, it's your asses, not mine!"

"Marie!" Gavin ran toward the yelling coming from rooms Carl remembered as the quarters of Negan's so-called "wives". He and Eugene pulled up short behind Gavin, who had stopped abruptly at the entrance to stare at the scene in front of them.

"Well…shit," Gavin whispered as a red-haired beauty sped by him midway through pulling the zipper of her dress down. Several other women rushed around after her, all in various stages of haphazard undress. Carl didn't know whether to back out slowly, avert his eyes, or rush in and try to help. Eugene stood with his mouth agape, eyes darting to and fro as if they couldn't settle on just one pair of long legs sprinting by, or the pair of lace covered breasts that bounced their way across the room.

"Good, you're here. Can you tell these bimbos to shake a tail feather," Marie yelled, making her way over to Gavin. "Let 'em know that Hotel Sanctuary is shutting down and living the high life is over as they know it. I _knew_ I should have left their simple asses sitting pretty waiting for their _Savior_ to show up. You'd think out of all these titties around here at least one set had some brains to go with them."

Gavin chuckled at Marie's tirade and quietly admired the woman's spunk throughout the chaos going on around them. He hadn't been surprised when she was one of the first to show up to the few surreptitious meetings Dwight had organized in the run-up to the rebellion against Negan. He always thought he could discern the truth behind every sassy barb she had the courage to throw back in the face of Negan's relentless advances. The caramel beauty's staunch refusal to be one of Negan's 'wives' had further upgraded her in Gavin's esteem, as well as her deft handling of the leader himself. He recognized the spark of resistance every time she had to say the words he himself had come to loathe. The proclamation of "I am Negan" always looked about as bitter as bile coming from her lips. He could always tell, because he felt the same way, having to choke the same tripe out, himself.

Marie was full of surprises though. Seeing her trying her best to keep her cool while trying to wrangle Negan's makeshift harem surprised the shit out of him to say the very least. He knew that she would recognize the signal and would have made her way to various meeting points they'd designated in their plans with Dwight. He knew she would have done her best to get as many of the older ones and the families with children out to safety, using her position as de facto liaison to the 'huddled chicken shit masses', as Negan had dubbed them, to rally to her. But her disdain for the cushy lives the 'wives' led was no secret. So to see her there, hurriedly pushing clothing into one raven-haired woman's backpack and shouting to another woman to 'move your scrawny ass', was nothing short of shocking. By the time she made it over to him, she had her attention stolen by a woman sitting in the corner looking for all the world like a pouting princess.

"Renee, what in the fuck are you just sitting there for?" Marie bellowed at the brunette sitting on a bench with her hands crossed in her lap.

The girl had an almost bemused look on her pretty face. "Oh, nothin'. Just watchin' y'all make fools of yourselves," Renee retorted. "When Negan comes back, _I'm_ the one who'll be giving him each and every one of your names and I'm gonna tell 'im all about how y'all turned tail on him." Her bemused look swiftly evolved into snide self-satisfaction, " _I'm_ the one who's gonna come out of this on top, you ungrateful bitches. So you'd better run! Run, cause Negan's gonna be in a helluva mood when he gets back! You crazy bastards'll all be sorry for tryin' to cross him."

Her little speech had caused some of her fellow harem members to pause their hurried dash to pack their meager belongings, but it was that last bit about 'crazy bastards' that grabbed _Carl's_ attention. He had been vacillating between being thankful that he had ditched the putrid smelling guts poncho and trying to focus on mentally counting his remaining bullets. Anything to keep his eyes averted from the spectacle of the half-naked women running around him, driving his teenage mind to distraction.

"Ma'am," Carl started, "I don't want to tell you how to live the rest of your life but I can tell you this: the only crazy bastard that's _not_ gonna make it is the one you're waiting for. We didn't come here with a mind for losing. And we didn't come here with empty hands either. You hear that?"

He gestured to the outside, where they could still hear gunfire, the deaths of Saviors, and the swelling, hissing tide of walkers flooding the Sanctuary.

"That's the sound of this place going down. If you haven't noticed. We came to END what Negan started. Starting with him." Carl then did something he'd seen Michonne do many times when she'd made a particularly scathing point - he gave Renee a cold look from her feet to the top of her head and back. "Sit there and wait for him if you want, but I guarantee you while you're here waitin', the rest of us are gonna be out there… living."

Renee looked at the young man, his one eye glaring with a fire of righteous belief, and heard him loud and clear. Not only him but the rumble of gunfire and screams going on outside the little bubble of safety she thought she was in. All she could hear were the groans of the walking dead filtering through walls and her heart beating a rapid staccato of blood in her ears. What she didn't hear was Negan. She didn't hear the brash swaggering orders of retribution on those "sorry excuses for mama's cornfed motherfuckers" over the din. She didn't hear any sounds that indicated that victory was on the side of the community she had been a part of in the hard after of the world's end. The instincts that had got her this far kicked in as she took in the full magnitude of what Carl was saying and her mouth made itself up seconds before her mind caught up.

"Alright kid," she said, resorting to a no-nonsense voice she hadn't used since before … well before Negan took it from her, "How about you come over here and unzip me so I can get the hell out of this tight ass dress and we can get out there and, what'd you say? Live."

Carl's eyes widened at her change in demeanor and the course of events, but all the kid received was a shrug from Gavin that said _'I guess you oughta get to unzippin'_ before he turned to Marie to get a status on who remained in the building. Carl let out a long breath and made his way to Renee, who had turned her back and pulled up her long chestnut colored hair with one hand to show him where the zipper of her dress started.

To distract himself from the pink flare of heat fighting its way through his cheeks, Carl let his mind go: _Enid's sure gonna love that I got her knife back. Judith sure had fun playing with those toy soldiers that we got her on that last run. She looked like a proper little general planning this war all by herself. I've got five clips left, two knives, one machete…_

###

"Motherfucker shot me."

 _Well, that_ don't _sound very kingly,_ Daryl thought as he struggled with King Ezekiel atop him. He just managed to lift the larger man's torso off of him and onto his back, eliciting a pained groan from the King, when a bullet hit the dirt where his head had just been. Daryl had no time to assess what damage the injury to Ezekiel had done. He opted instead to aim his crossbow in the direction from where the gunfire was coming while crouching protectively over the other man's prone form. The darkness and the forest foliage would have been a hindrance to most people, but not to eyes used to tracking well-needed food using only the light of the newest of moons. Eyes that needed only a hint of movement to spot a squirrel in a thicket of brush so dense that the squirrel itself had problems maneuvering its way from branch to branch. No, eyes that could catch the shimmer of a pair of possum's eyes before an arrow hit an invisible bullseye between them caught the faintest of shadows in the trees ahead of him. Daryl let his arrow fly.

"Arrrgghh..!" went the cry of Daryl's newest victim, right before he heard the body hit the forest floor.

"Scottie G!" another voice in the dark exclaimed, "You bastard! You killed Scottie G! I'm gonna gut you like … ahhhh!" The roar of a very angry tiger cut the disembodied voice off with a finality that could only be produced by a tigress bent on the protection of the only human she had chosen to walk the earth with.

Daryl watched as several Saviors scattered out from the darkness, desperate to escape the ferocious wrath of Shiva, and ran toward him. He swiftly reloaded his crossbow and managed to take down at least two more burly Saviors when he felt a hand on his shoulder as the King used him for leverage to get upright. Chaos soon erupted around them as Daryl struggled to get them both to their feet.

Daryl counted seven Saviors making their way towards them in front of him, and he could see more movement in his peripheral. They would be surrounded in a matter of moments. The thought only bolstered his spine and seemed to do the same for Ezekiel as he took a more determined stance despite the blood trickling from his wound. With a final squeeze to Daryl's shoulder, Ezekiel straightened his broad shoulders and stood tall as he pulled his gun from its holster. His sword already unsheathed, the king gave Daryl a grin that told him everything he needed to know about the man he had been side-eyeing for the last few months. For all his blustering theatricality, King Ezekiel wasn't about going softly into that good night. If this was the way to secure a future for his people, standing beside possibly the most reticent human he had ever encountered, then so be it.

"A stand it is then!" Ezekiel said and was momentarily surprised at the small grin Daryl returned to him.

"Looks like it," Daryl returned, positioning his crossbow to his shoulder and putting his back to Ezekiel's, readying himself for the oncoming attack from the approaching enemy.

Ezekiel felt the light pressure of Daryl's back against his and took courage from knowing that he at least wouldn't be alone in what was possibly his last stand. He heard Shiva's growls in the distance and felt the adrenaline rush the blood to a fierce pulsating beat into his ears and strengthen his pounding heart. _Yes_ , he thought, _let it be like this. If this is the end, then let this be an end they would talk about for years to come. Let it be an end that **she** would hear of and remember me._

The smile that he felt break across his face confused the Saviors rushing him. Yet still, he smiled. The pride in that smile gave each of them pause as they couldn't fathom what about facing death would make a man so indescribably happy. The life they had each been living of brutal terrorism did not give any of them cause for even an iota of the jubilance that they saw shining defiantly from the King of the Kingdom. That smile alone stirred fear and not a small amount of jealousy in each of their dark hearts. Hearts that at one time had beat normally. Hearts that in the old world would have stalled at the gruesome acts they all took part in to make it in this new world. Here they were, about to commit yet another heinous act of murder, and still, he smiled. That smile was enough. An animalistic growl erupted from a balding Savior as he made the first step towards the smiling leader, gun cocked and ready to explode.

Daryl felt a slight moment of tension gather behind him at the sound. He set his sights on the group of men and women who looked, for all their so-called savagery, bone-weary of the day's events and ready to end it however it was gonna end.

That growl was the last sound the bald man would ever make. In the next second, the sharpened point of the wooden bō sailed out of his mouth through the back of his neck. Morgan's grunt as he pulled his repurposed staff went unheard under the war cry from Jerry wielding his mighty ax and the clash of knives and other blunt instruments of destruction inside the crowd of Saviors.

The ambushers had become the ambushed. Daryl and Ezekiel didn't miss a beat. Each charged into the fray from the center of what they had each thought was their final circle of death. Daryl let his arrows fly, each hit with the precision of the huntsman who wielded them.

"For the Kingdom!" Ezekiel bellowed, running towards his devoted man-at-arms who was brandishing his battle ax. Jerry's form was nothing short of beautiful, moving with the kind of grace any ballet dancer half his size would envy. With each swing, limbs were detached from the original owners. The blood and gore of the moment couldn't take away from the beauty of the two hundred and fifty pound Samoan-American dancing lithely from victim to victim in the protection of his leader.

In direct contrast to the tragic beauty of Jerry's fighting was the brutal rage that Morgan exhibited with each thrust of his staff. The staccato beat of his pivots and deadly stabs to get to anyone he perceived as a threat were relentless. The mixed team of Alexandrians, Hilltoppers, and Kingdomers who were fighting alongside him learned fast to either identify themselves as an ally or give him a wide berth in his conquest to kill the demons his mind desperately needed release from. With each deadly blow, faces blurred Morgan's vision. Young Ben's pale face replaced the face of the dying Savior before him. All Morgan could see was red dancing with the ghostly white of his young dead mentee's face as he brandished his sharpened weapon at another Savior who dared try an attack from behind. It was as if the phantom of the dead guided his every move. With every enemy that went down there he was, the fresh-faced, brave boy who was so needlessly sacrificed to the brutality of this world. In his frenzy to avenge every needless death and silence the internal screaming in his head, Morgan almost didn't hear her voice cut through the madness.

" _Morgan_ ," Carol called again. This time, even with the clamor of battle surrounding them, her quiet but insistent voice pierced through. He pulled up short, panting heavily and looked around at the destruction of life he wrought. Bodies were strewn about his feet and his hands drenched in blood. He stared at the crimson dripping from them until they were covered with Carol's smaller ones. He breathed out a harsh breath that sounded like the most anguished sigh.

"It's done, Morgan. Its finished now," Carol said, her hands tightening around his. Her steady breaths were in direct contrast to a rapid heart rate that was the only proof of her sprint through the forest. She had come crashing onto the scene with Aaron and Eric only to discover that her particular brand of mayhem was not needed. The remaining Saviors that hadn't fallen to Jerry's battle ax were throwing their weapons aside and throwing their hands up in the universal signal of 'we give the fuck up'. Those that weren't bending their knees in supplication to the assorted members of the Kingdom, Alexandria and the Hilltop were strewn about, writhing in groaning pain or just strewn about period. An arm here. A disemboweled corpse there. And Morgan. Standing amidst the piled result of his rampage, looking crazed in his killing frenzy.

Thoughts of either Daryl or Ezekiel were momentarily put aside the moment Carol saw the tortured look on Morgan's face when she approached him. The empathy she felt for Morgan fought her initial worries she had for her initial bolt towards the gunfire she had heard.

Her heart had recognized the place Morgan had been traveling in his mind that day so long ago when he had laid it all out for her before he headed off to war. Glenn, dead. Abraham, dead. So many of their family who she had tried to protect by leaving. All dead, or suffering under a madman's rule, he had told her.

All while she sat in her solitude in her little house on the outskirts of the Kingdom trying to become human again. While she was reading old books of fiction, the factual world she had been running from came barging through her door and with the death of that young boy on her kitchen table she saw Morgan break. She saw it again in his eyes when he dropped even more facts on her. At the time, she had briefly thought back to Daryl's hesitancy and obvious lies to her about the state of affairs in Alexandria. Ever since, Carol had made it her mission to be the one that would help Morgan, the way he had tried to help her. Him bringing her to the Kingdom saved her life and she would repay him by understanding the rage she saw in him back then and during the course of the war they found themselves.

Morgan finally met her soft grey eyes and let his breathing calm to match hers. The heated red faded into cooling grey calm as they stood together just breathing in tandem.

"It's over." Not quite a question but he felt he needed to hear her say it before he let go.

"Yes," she responded, "It's over."

He took another long breath, nodded his head, closed his eyes to absorb the savagery of it all and then sunk to his knees. She went down with him and held his head as they knelt in the middle of his dead. With his head on her shoulder, she finally looked up to fully assess her environment. Her eyes darted around and let herself feel a small amount of relief and then bemused confusion when she saw Daryl with his crossbow on one shoulder and Ezekiel leaning on his other shoulder. Were they… yes, it looked they were actually laughing, with each other. She saw Jerry scamper over to get to his King to support his other side. The three of them, looking like a diversified Three Stooges act hobbled together towards her. Their smiles faded slightly at the sight of her consoling Morgan but understanding was in all of their eyes when they returned the solemn nod she gave them. Daryl veered off with Ezekiel leaving Jerry with no choice but to follow them towards Aaron and Eric.

Eric looked hurriedly through his backpack for bandages when he saw them approaching them. Aaron took his walkie-talkie out to see if he could give Rick an update of their location. He fiddled to get to the right frequency when he heard Rosita's voice crackle through.

"Front assault has been dealt with. Anyone copy?"

"Copy that Rosita. Perimeter assault being dealt with right now," Aaron returned, "Any word from the inside?"

The line crackled again, "Inside crew is assembling outside now. Got workers and families out just waiting on Sheriff Junior to check in," came Dwight's reply, "If I don't see him in the next five minutes I'm gonna go back in for him… wait a minute. Well, I'll be damned. Sheriff Junior has arrived… and I don't think we can call him Junior anymore."

Aaron looked at the walkie-talkie trying to figure out what brought Dwight to that conclusion when he heard another crackle, "Anyone got an eye on Rick?"

"Yeah, we're with him," came Jesus over the airwaves, "We're with him and … Maggie! Stop kicking me! Listen… team leaders make your way over to the front of the Sanctuary. We've got some decisions to make. Over."

Dwight came buzzing back, "On our way and we're bringing some decision makers with us."

Eric finished wrapping Ezekiel's shoulder after seeing the bullet had gone clean through and finished tamping the blood flow. Daryl prepared to make moves toward the front of the Sanctuary while Aaron went to give instructions to their team members who were holding the surviving Saviors.

"Hey A!" Daryl yelled, causing to Aaron to turn back, "Bring 'em with us. If there's decisions that's gotta be made, I'm thinking they're gonna want to see what that means."

Aaron nodded and continued over to corral everyone. With every footfall, he felt a little bit more elated. With every breath of free air, a little of the weight that had been on his heart ever since the war started began to ebb away. He stole a quick glance at Eric helping Ezekiel to get his shirt back on. His love seemed to feel his eyes on him and gave Aaron his best side grin. Aaron shook his head at the audacity of it all. They had made it. Eric had made it out alive. Not only had he made it but he made it fighting side by side with him. Fought with the same ferocious protectiveness that had made him follow Aaron into this fight for their survival armed with nothing but a gun that he didn't know how to use and his love. Goddamnit, surviving felt good and Aaron was looking forward to really trying to live the rest of his days telling that brave man of his how proud he was of him.

###

"Wow Rick…" he whispered, "heh… you… really… think you… won."

Michonne stared down at the finally quiet form of the man who had caused so much pain and suffering to her and her family. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry with relief. For the first time in a very long time, Michonne did not have her shit together. Her mind was a jumble of so many emotions as it tried to grapple with the enormity of all of the actions of the day. Stunned was such an unfamiliar feeling that she wouldn't have been able to name it if someone asked her at that moment.

So many questions came rushing into her mind. Was it over? What was the cost of all this? Where do we go from here? Where was Carl? What would her first son think of her if he saw her now? Everything bombarded her at once so swiftly that she didn't feel herself falling until she felt _his_ arms around her holding her up.

The swiftness that Rick had gotten to her didn't surprise her, but the calm that immediately came from being in his arms did. The understanding that she saw in the cool azure sea of his eyes as she saw all the questions she had reflected back to her surprised her even more. How _did_ they not know each other from the world before? That this man who was so attuned to her that they never needed any words to communicate existed without being in her orbit before the world turned on its axis never ceased to amaze her.

"It's us," he whispered down to her, "Just like you said. We made it. We're the ones who lived Michonne." Rick pressed her small frame to his chest and kept repeating their mantra into her hair. With every reiteration, he felt her let go of her questioning tension. "Shhhh, let it go. We're the ones who lived baby."

Michonne fed off the strength from his words and made a decision to let the ashes fall where they may. She was willing to let everything that led to that moment, every broken life Negan had destroyed and every question she had been torturing herself fall away. She was going to let it be for now. For now, she was going to bask in the momentary relief that was the end of this war. And Rick felt it. Rick felt the moment she had released her inner turmoil. Not from the ease in her breathing but from the heart he felt beating in time to his. She was ok. He knew because he was ok too. Now. Now that piece of garbage was …

"Luucii….urrgggh".

 ** _GODDAMNIT_** , Rick turned his gaze down to what he had hoped was just his imagination of the struggling body of Negan. Rick watched as the son of a bitch struggled on his stomach, his hands clawing in the dirt, pulling with what little strength it could muster towards the remnants of the split pieces of the barbed wire bat.

"You still alive?" Rick couldn't believe the gall of this motherfucker. Like everything in this world of hereafter, his precious moment with his woman was cut short needlessly and it made the bile of it rise in his throat. Seeing where Negan was trying to get to, he let go of Michonne, prowled over to the crawling Negan. Rick bent to seize him roughly by the back of the collar of the bloodied and dirt covered jacket and flipped him over. It took everything in Rick not to press the worn heel of his cowboy boot clad foot against Negan's throat but he had another plan develop in his mind.

Rick got down on his haunches and looked Negan in the eyes, "That's what you want, huh, asshole? Your precious fuckin' bat? Huh? Well then…," Rick took hold of his jacket collar again and drug Negan on his back the short distance over to the offending piece of wood. Negan let out a pained groan as his feet kicked in the dirt trying to keep up with the powerful drag of Rick's rage.

Once they were close to the destroyed weapon of mass destruction, Rick flung Negan down and stepped a foot to each side of his body and bent down. He pulled Negan up by the front of his shirt and brought his face close enough to look in his eyes and smell the blood on his breath. Hate clashed with loathing as their eyes met and then Rick smiled.

"You see that there," Rick asked, his voice almost amicable in its delight, "Want to know what's going to happen to your beloved _Lucille_?" The last word sounded like it was dipped in poison and Negan felt the power of it seep into his mind. "I'm gonna fucking set that piece of shit on fire and I'm gonna watch it burn. And since you want to still hold onto this life so bad, guess what Negan? I'm gonna make sure you're alive long enough to watch it burn with me."

Maggie, still struggling with Jesus to get out her first lieutenant's death grip, heard Rick and felt her blood boil.

"NO Rick! He dies! He dies today!" she screamed, "Jesus, let me the fuck go! I need to see him breathe his last breath." She kicked backward and almost gained her freedom but Jesus had moves that even she couldn't fathom and kept his strong hold on her.

"Rick," she pleaded, feeling tears of anger well up in her eyes, "Please Rick. Please."

Rick turned to her and knew what she needed, so he obliged. He stood up, still holding Negan by the collar of his shirt. He brought Negan over to Maggie and flung him to her feet. She stared down at her husband's murderer and saw what Rick needed her to see. Fear. Finally, the man who had caused so much pain to all of them with that cocksure smile on his hateful face had the wherewithal to show actual fear.

There was something else that Maggie saw and immediately recognized. She saw despair. She knew that look. She could smell it coming off of him just as sure as she could smell the blood and death on him. Then she also saw a glimmer of something that looked like … hope. He _wanted_ to die. He wanted it to end. The thought of doing anything _he_ wanted, even if it was something she had dreamed of since she saw Glenn's face destroyed in front of her went against everything her heart felt. No. Death was too easy. She looked over to Rick and he knew she had seen what he had needed her to see. She stilled her attack on Jesus' shins and gave Rick a single nod.

Rick turned to Michonne giving her a knowing look. She instantly understood exactly what was going to happen next.

Then the chatter on their walkies began.

"You can let go of me now," Maggie said quietly to Jesus and tried to get one more kick in for him holding onto her so tightly.

"Anyone got an eye on Rick?"

Jesus heard the call for Rick but was in momentary awe of the way this family communicated silently. He was assuredly becoming one of them the more he spent time with them because he too understood exactly what the immediate future was going to be. He knew he what he had to do.

"Yeah, we're with him," he returned over the airwaves, "We're with him and … Maggie! Stop kicking me! Listen… team leaders make your way over to the front of the Sanctuary. We've got some decisions to make. Over."

 *****WSWSWSWSWSWSWS*****

 **A/n: Hello my lovelies! So good to see you're still with me and my new favorites and follows Welcome! Bienvenidos! Bienvenue! Thank you for taking this ride with me. A ride that is slowly but surely coming to an end. Not gonna lie, I think my reluctance has been because this was my first fic. I'm that clingy mother who is just not ready to let it go and it's been holding up the progress but alas... here we are. I think this will be the penultimate chapter, with the next being the conclusion to my first born baby fic but wait... there's more. Did I mention that I've already got a sequel in mind. It's going to be called Retribution and I hope you guys will enjoy it. I've stopped watching the show as I've decided this little world I've created is the way I want things to be. It's also a gift to myself. I love TREAT Yo Self Season! It's my favorite.**

 **Now to my most favorite part - your awesome reviews**

DramionEverlarkPeetatoRichonne you're fucking awesome! Being such a driving force behind this with your readership has been a gift to me so Thank you! but... you mad at me for this last chapter or nah?

EveAlacranyou are one of the sweetest people I know and thank you so much for each and every one of your reviews. I can almost hear you saying "you tell them baby" at your phone and it gives me life! LOL

amberjoy38 Listen... LISTEN! when I see a review that says that my version is the way the show should have been I literally cry... actual tears. Stop playing with my emotions... Actually just THANK YOU. It makes me so happy to see that kind of reaction and I hope that I continue to do you proud.

MannaRN You are welcome 1000x and thank you 1,000,000 x for even rereading it and enjoying it all over again! Also, let me say something about that Savior Kill from the show. It is something that I watched... repeatedly... for research... still watching it actually. Like... it's 2:35 on Tuesday, time to watch that kill again kinda research.

Fik Freak you special beauty you! Thank you so much! You know you mean the world to me right! xoxo

comewithnattah Listen. LISTEN! LIIIIISSSTTTEENNNNN! You are literally my moon and stars! I don't know what to do myself. I read your review over and over and over and... well you get the picture. You are my literal everything. People if you don't know, now you know. Get you a wife like mine. That review was just... listen. I came. That is all.

Sophiasown you are a gift. Your in-depth reviews are something I live for. You are such a gift to me and to this fandom. I know you got the red dress already but erm... are you mad at me for this last chapter? Will you forgive me? Will I have to find redemption through conception? I have questions.

CarribeanQueen you're not the only one looking for a Richonne baby and all I can say is ... there aren't nary a contraceptive in one bit of my story so ... we'll have to see. MMMkaaayy

Tigerwalk You Are Amazing. Thank you for advice and your wonderful support. This chapter wouldn't be what it is without you. Does that mean that I hope people blame you for a certain bat wielding sociopath is alive... welll ... yes because I certainly don't want to be blamed for that but on the real thank you and stop trying to ruin Christmas! you hear me? xoxoxo

Firefly-class he doesn't deserve mercy! you right! But he damn well deserves to suffer and I'm trying to make sure that happens for him.

member00 have I told you how I feel like you were an inevitability that I never saw coming. Have I told you that I feel so vindicated that you were totally on MY SIDE in the greatest dispute of phraseology usage? Have I told you that I can't wait to use that new phrase that it's already written and I am basically writing the next chapter around it. You're awesome and thank you for finally coming to the Vengeance world and of course for one of the best reviews ever.

Richonne4Life now you know I think you is a raggedy beesh and I love every raggedy beesh word of your review. I tried to do the MC Hammer once I knew I was gonna win and you were right... I passed out. I actually feel you cussin me out right now and putting in 32 extra forehead kisses in a certain update just to be spiteful. But honestly, I have to say this has been the most fun because of the motivation you gave me. I have only one thing left to say to you: RUN MY BIG KATS RAGGEDY R4LIFE! RUN DEM NOW!

Nwfanmega WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? Why you call Daryl Nell man? How are you just about the funniest person I know. Why do you push me to be best? Why do I feel like you're going to punish me ... badly for this chapter. I feel the assplosion coming and I'm not ready. sigh Brandi... why are you amazing and I'm so happy that your review is just ... everything.

IsisNicole thank you for your chapter by chapter reviews. I'm so glad you're caught up and enjoying this baby of mine. Even though you were late to the party I'm just so happy you're here!

atm0000 so you all caught up now? Yaaaayyyyyy! Thank you so much! I really needed to address that Carol situation because certain writers of the show I don't watch don't seem to think women speak to each other... like at all. I'm glad you liked it. I'm sorry about Roland. I really am. I didn't know he was gonna go out the way he did until I wrote it and man oh man... Roland we truly hardly knew thee and thee was a goddamn rockstar.

flacagonzales still with me? Good! Thank you! I know it's been a while but I'm tryna do better.

As always y'all know I wouldn't be anywhere in this story without the wonderful and amazing jonesywrites. She puts up with my hatred of commas with such ease and aplomb. Thank you forever!


	27. Chapter 27

**Twenty Seven**

 **The Beginning... for The End**

 **Part 1**

The short march to the front of the Sanctuary took longer than Carl expected. The sheer amount of people walking alongside him amazed him. What would have given him a jolt of fear if he had seen them _before_ was replaced with the electric sizzle of hope. Knowing that the fight was finally won and _all this newfound life_ was hopefully on their side, _the living breathing side_ , made Carl's burgeoning teen chest swell up with the air of pride.

That swoll chest condition had started when he saw the wide eyed stare of Dwight on his approach in the midst of the gaggle of Negan's wives. Each apparently recognizing the opportunity when it stared at them from the single cool blue eye of the young Grimes. All knowing Renee was no fool when they saw her make sure she was keeping in step with the new heir apparent in their midst, they all fell into line surrounding the slim framed youth vying for his attention. Having been used to the sordid bartering of their bodies for so long, the women ignored the derisive snorts of Marie who had immediately recognized game when she saw it. What Marie had dubbed the _Negan Ho Circle_ in her head, surrounded the young man and opted to continue the only way they each knew how.

Carl, perplexed at being the center of so much female attention, attempted to answer the leading questions he was being bombarded with while still trying to maintain his focus. In the back of his mind, he knew that this attention would wane the moment they got to where his father was. He was even anticipating the moment of the inevitable shutdown that came with the dominant presence of Michonne. She was most assuredly going to be beside his father when the elder Grimes was introduced to this gaggle of thirst that was currently surrounding Carl.

"So, where do _you_ go after all this is wrapped up?" Renee brazenly asked, looping her arm in his as they walked.

"Well, Ma'am," Carl said, "I expect that I'll go back home to Alexandria after a stop at the Hilltop first to see my girlfriend." He had never referred to Enid as such, and she would probably have winced in her non-committal way at being called that had she been present. Yet, it felt good to claim her, even in the absence of her presence. Made him feel proud to have something special to call his own in a world that had taken so much from him.

Not to be deterred, Renee tried another tack. "Awww, That's just so adorable. Young love, especially now, just gives me some hope for the future," she drawled out in a wistful voice, then added with a hint of pity, "And just how far is Hilltop from Alexandria? Long distance wasn't ideal back in the old world. I can't imagine having to deal with that now with resources so scarce."

"We do alright," Carl replied, "Especially now that this war is over. I'm sure we'll have even more resources now that they're not being taken from us to make you people at the Sanctuary comfortable."

With that subtle reminder that Carl knew just how comfortable the life Renee had lived under the auspice of being a wife of Negan was, he disengaged his arm from her and continued on his walk. Gavin and Marie snickered in unison after a glance over at the chagrined Renee and shook their heads respectively when they saw her spot replaced by a couple of eager beauties vying for Carl's attention.

"You'll tell your dad that I came willingly right?" said one curly red haired woman with a cherubic face sprinkled with freckles, "That I wasn't like _some_ people, hemming and hawing waiting for Negan right?" The slight tremor of desperation didn't override the sly bit of shade she had thrown Renee's way.

"Yeah," another woman spoke from the other side of Carl, "You'll let him know not _all_ of us are _Negan._ We shouldn't have to be punished for being forced to survive any way we could." Murmurs of agreement surrounded Carl from the women who each thought of the deeds dirty and otherwise they had been subjected to, and had taken part in, to maintain the status quo. Some of them thought of the lewd acts they'd had to perform for their _husband_ , while others thought of the innocence they lost. Chipped away not only by the horrors of battling the living dead but the parts that had been destroyed little by little by the man who saw himself as their savior. All, however thought about what the new normal would bring. Were they trading in one life lived in fear of a leader for another, new and more gruesome leader so hellbent on vengeance that he'd burn everything his enemy built down to the ground and leave them to perish in the ashes?

Carl felt a pang of sadness for these women. His mind had dealt with so much up until this point. Tragedy, death, murder he had seen and had adapted to, but his young mind was still trying to grasp the concept of coercion. He remembered the cannibals of Terminus and knew how deeply dark the depths humans would go to to survive could get. He inwardly shivered at the permanently imbedded memory of that fat hillbilly bastard's breath on his face. The pervert's stench was what Carl remembered most as it burned his nostrils. That and the fear in the fool's voice right before his father gutted him from navel to the breast meat to prevent the ultimate violation of Carl's innocence.

Yes, Carl knew the deep depravity that ran rampant in men's' minds of this new world. This world that seemed to feed the evil that lurked in the hearts of men and allowed it to roam loose among the remnants of the living. He knew when he had first encountered these women on Negan's braggadocio tour that what he was looking at was all wrong. Women lined up under the watchful eye of their keeper while extolling his own virtues as their _husband_. Never had the word ever been so misused in Carl's opinion. Displaying them like so many wares in some sort of perverse collection.

Carl remembered the bile that rose from his gut when he thought of the possibility of Enid and all the women of his family and community being forced to live a life of subjugation like the women in that room. He knew with every fiber of his being that would have been a death sentence for her. She would have fought back and knowing Negan he would have tried to break her. Break her will and spirit like the dead spirits Carl had seen in all of the muted eyes of the "Happy Wives Club" of Negan. Eyes that now seemed to spark with life at their liberation. Some even began to remember that little bit of hope they'd long forgotten. Wanting to keep that hope burning, Carl tried to allay their unnecessary fears.

"Look ladies, I know what kind of man you're used to dealing with," he said, "But my father isn't that. I don't know what's going to happen when all is said and done but him and _my mom_ are going to be fair. _They_ just want what you all should want. A future. A _real_ one that we can _all_ live in, without having to fight each other when there is a real threat that we should be fighting together instead."

 _Well I guess there are some brains residing in all these titties,_ Marie thought derisively as she noticed that not one of those women missed the mention of the young man's "mother". Some looked disappointed at the mention and others looked more contemplative. One in particular, seemed to take Carl's speech in and Marie could almost hear the woman's mind gears whirring. _Oh Renee, you just won't quit will you,_ Marie thought, _I have a feeling that you gonna learn today though._ Marie didn't know much about Carl's parents but she had a strong suspicion that any woman who was bonded to this young warrior's father was not going to be one to suffer shenanigans. Much less the scheming mind of a woman who was used to gaining power by _pussy proxy_. Marie actually couldn't wait to see the manner in which Renee would get readily shut down by whoever this mysterious mother was.

"He's right, Marie," Gavin said, keeping in step next to her, "These people seem fair. They're fierce as all get out but they been nothing but reasonable with me." He didn't mention the multiple threats to do him bodily harm, but he figured they were within their rights considering who he was. If it wasn't for Carl, he was sure he'd have been walking around with a hankering from some human steak and a sword hole through his gut. The fact that he was alive and walking with air in his lungs and a renewed sense of hope was very _reasonable_ to him. Very reasonable indeed.

"Well, I'll believe it when I see it," Marie responded, "Time will tell, is all I can say."

"Yeah, you're right about that." They both fell into a pensive silence as they each thought of what time and the future would bring.

"Inside crew is assembling outside now. Got workers and families out just waiting on Sheriff Junior to check in. If I don't see him in the next five minutes I'm gonna go back in for him…" Dwight's reply tapered off as his eyes widened when he saw them approaching. Carl led the way in the midst of all of the women he knew as Negan's wives, with Eugene pulling up the rear. "Wait a minute. Well I'll be damned. Sheriff Junior has arrived… and I don't think we can call him Junior anymore."

Seeing those women gave Dwight a jolt as he thought of his own wife and the sacrifices she had made when she had become one of them. _Oh Honey_ , _I wish you could see what I'm seeing_ , he thought, _but I'll be sure to describe this day to you perfectly. Show you how good my memory really is._ As soon as he could, he was going to make his way back to that cabin in the woods where he knew she would return. He felt that deep in his heart that he would see her alive again and if she wasn't at the cabin well, he was going to grab that six pack he left her and scour the rest of the world until he did.

"Dwight! Hell it's good to see you on the other side man," Gavin said giving his fellow compatriot a full armed grasp.

"You made it through, I see. A little worse for wear though," Dwight replied, noticing the bloody bandage that covered the gash on Gavin's head. It had gone askew, revealing the severity of the wound he had gained from his travels out of the trash heap. "Think you can make it just a little bit further?"

Now Dwight noticed how Gavin swayed a bit. Marie hurried to his side to give him more support.

"Yeah man," Gavin said, wincing at the grip Marie had on his most assuredly broken ribs, which made her adjust her hold on him.

"He'll make it," Marie said, straightening her stance, "We didn't make it all the way out of that hell hole just to miss the best part. I heard that some decisions gotta be made on your little walkie talkie and you know what's not fittin' to happen today? Me and Gavin here, _not_ gettin' to see that bastard pay. He's going to see our faces and _know._ So if I have to fling Gavin on one of these trite hoes' back to get him there… then _that's_ what's fittin' to happen _today_."

Dwight's chuckle was immediately cut short by the determined look in Marie's eyes. He, like Gavin and probably everyone else who had dealt with Marie before knew she wasn't a woman to be reckoned with. One searing look from those brown eyes could set a man straight and if the look didn't work the words that came flying out of her mouth would cut deeper than the knife she always had at the ready to finish the job. Yeah, Negan was in for a world of pain, if Rick and company hadn't already put him down. Dwight kind of hoped that he too could see Negan's face when he saw who he had really been up against. See the glint fade from Negan's eyes when he saw his _most_ loyal, _most_ experienced, _most Negan of all_ , be the ones who had worked against him in the end. Dwight felt the scarred side of his face tighten at the thought.

"Well, let's go make some decisions then."

###

"Well… never thought it'd be your face I'd be seeing," Negan coughed up a bit more blood,"The actual J to the Hay Zeus. Thought for sure I'd be meeting with that other one I got more in common with."

"Yeah, well don't worry," Jesus responded, applying more pressure to the gut wound courtesy of Rick's knife, "If you don't keep your mouth shut for once, you and the devil will be having that long overdue conversation in no time."

Blood had started to seep through the makeshift bandage Jesus made of the shirt he had shredded. He always had layers to spare and even though Maggie and Rick had silently agreed that saving Negan's life was what was happening now, Jesus knew not to expect them to provide any part of their actual clothing or any other assistance to get that particular job done. He hoped that the good Doctor Carson had survived the siege of the Sanctuary because the best he knew to do was what he was doing, apply pressure and hope.

The sound of many footsteps alerted them to the approach of the survivors of the battle. Rosita came rushing ahead of the team that had followed her into the forest only to halt abruptly at the sight of Jesus huddled over something. It gave her a moment of terrifying despair with thoughts of either Rick or Michonne being the prone form Jesus was helping. Then she saw them standing a little off to the side with Maggie, looking disdainfully down at whoever Jesus was attending to. And _then_ she saw the black leather jacket sleeve.

"What the … Jesus!" Rosita screamed as she ran towards them with her gun already drawn and cocked to finish what Rick and Maggie had started.

"No Rosita!" Rick moved to block Rosita's path, only after he was sure Michonne was good to stand on her own. He held his hands up and walked toward Rosita who was trying to aim her gun around him.

"No, Rosita," Rick said more quietly, taking a few more cautious steps toward her, "No." He got close enough to her to grasp her wrist gently and brought it down.

She looked up at Rick in amazement. _Just what in the hell is going on_ , she thought, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that it was Rick standing between her and the death of the monster who had taken so much from her… from _them_. She glared at him and then turned her gaze to Michonne. If anyone could explain the fuckery that was going on, it would be Michonne. They had both started the day together with with blood on their minds and steel in their hearts. _Michonne_ was the woman Rosita just _knew_ would've gotten her taste of vengeance already. Yeah, Michonne was going to have to explain things to her, and fast. Rosita heard the bastard groan as he struggled for breath and she couldn't for the life of her understand why he was still sharing the same oxygen that they all were.

"Don't worry," Michonne said, coming up beside Rick, "We have… plans for him." She gave Rosita a knowing look and the two women had a silent conversation with their eyes. After a moment, Rosita let out a long breath and gave Michonne a brief nod in understanding.

"Ok," Rosita replied, only placated by the cold look she saw in Michonne's eyes. Had she seen any kind of mercy dwelling there, Rosita would have thrown all caution to the wind and made sure her bullet met the middle of Negan's forehead. Had she not totally understood the silent communication from Michonne that their actions today were not in vain, she would have torn through Rick to get to Negan and let the chips fall where they would fall. The look that Michonne gave her in addition to the glint of sunlight off of Michonne's ever present sword was the only thing that had saved Negan and Rosita hoped to Dios that he knew it.

"Dad!"

Rick turned quickly to the sound of his son's voice. Tears blurred his vision as he ran towards Carl and was met halfway by the crush of his boy's young arms around him. Rick lifted Carl halfway off the ground in his embrace, not caring about the crowd that Carl's appearance had brought.

"You alright son," Rick eyed Carl carefully, his hands on both of his boy's shoulders. It still surprised him that he was actually staring _up_ into his son's face, looking for any sign of trouble in that single eye that he had colored with his own bloodline. Gone was the boy who rode on his shoulders in the old days. In his place was the young man that had kept hope living in Rick's heart from the moment he woke up in that hospital bed a lifetime ago. That hope that had driven him to find his family in the midst of an apocalypse. All his hope in the future stood before him, in the taller-than-he-had-any-right-to-be, slim yet strong form of the young man Rick had the honor of calling son.

"I'm alright Dad." Carl returned his father's embrace, feeling relief wash over him. He managed a brief glance over to the woman he'd considered his best friend as well as the best mother anyone could hope for in the midst of an apocalypse. A shadow of concern colored his face momentarily until he saw her make her way quickly over to her men. He then understood that she just wanted to give them and herself time to get their shit together before she gave in and broke into her own dash to hug both of them with all of her might.

"Didn't I tell you," she whispered, " _We're_ the ones who live. _We're the ones who win._ " The little family tried to bask in their own private bubble for a few precious moments before once again a pained groan reached through and burst it.

 _Here we go,_ thought Rick, hating that the man he had travelled so far to kill intruded again into the small precious moment of his life. The fact that Negan had the nerve to _still_ be breathing in all that good oxygen was doing a number on Rick's reserves of control. _Keep pushing your luck asshole,_ Rick thought before he turned again to his son's confused glare that went from Rick to Michonne to Negan's decidedly UNdead form and back to Rick and Michonne.

"Dad?"

"Yeahhhhh, I know son," Rick said, "We're about to get into this right now." Rick finally took notice of the crowd of mixed company that had appeared with his son. So-called Saviors who weren't at the head with guns pointed at them stood beside the returning surviving Kingdom, Hilltop and Alexandria warriors and all stood silently as they watched the small family reunion. Some of the defeated had the despondent look of failure while others had looked on in incredulity and just a hint of jealousy as they saw the obvious victor of the day being embraced with love and admiration that none had seen since the end of the world. All, however, looked stunned to see that Negan was still alive. Stunned turned to anger in most and fear in the rest as they too looked to Rick for some sort of explanation.

"First of all, Doctor Carson, I see you over there, and I'm glad to see you made it," Rick started, "Do you think you can see to that _situation_ that Jesus is trying to handle for me, if you could."

Said doctor, jolted from his stupor, felt his years of training kick in but not before he asked, "You… you sure about this Rick?" Rick's squint was all the answer Doctor Carson needed or was going to get it seemed, so he hurried over to assess the damage done to the man that had killed his brother.

"Hey Doc," Jesus said, relieved to see the familiar face that had been snatched from him at the orders of the man currently holding on to life like the parasitic leech he was, "It is really good to see you… and not just because I don't have the slightest clue as to what I'm doing right now."

The good doctor's grimace turned into a slight grin at seeing that his former Hilltop compatriot was still alive but just as quickly turned right back to a frown when he looked down at Negan. "Yeah Jesus, and just what exactly are you doing right now?"

"Well, I think I'm trying to keep him alive," Jesus replied.

Doctor Carson took a beat and looked into his friend's eyes for a hint as to why this was going down the way it was. Why, in all the world, the one man who deserved to die choking on his own bile and blood was going to get the pleasure of his services. Doctor Carson, against all his oaths to save life, against all of his training, with every fibre of his being wanted to let Negan die. He wanted to watch the blood flow out of Negan with just because of the murder of his brother, who by all accounts was an asshole and there was truly no love lost between the two siblings but because of all the lives lost at either Negan's behest or by the very hand of the man himself.

Jesus looked back at him silently trying to communicate something, anything, that would convince the doctor to uphold his beliefs. Jesus understood that there was going to be some resistance and he knew that the doctor would be the first of many hurdles that would have to be contended with. Jesus also knew that he wasn't going to to argue if Doctor Carson simply decided to sit there and not lift a hand in assistance. This decision was the doctor's to make and he conveyed as much in his gaze back at him.

"Well, it ain't as bad it feels if y'all are gonna just stand there deciding to eye dry hump in front of my face," Negan groaned out, "Don't let it be said I ain't the open-minded type of fella. Just stick your tongue down his throat Jesus and let's be done with it."

Both Jesus and the good doctor broke their silent communication to give Negan a good _what the fuck_ look. The dying man didn't even have the good sense to bleed out silently and for some reason that goaded Doctor Carson into action. He'd be damned if the last words coming out of Negan's mouth would be the one that had outed him publicly. He'd come this far and damn it all, he wasn't going to watch the satisfied twinkle in Negan's eyes be the thing that changed him into the type of man that he was. The type of man who would let another human, albeit one of the lowest forms of human he had ever encountered to date, die painfully when he had the means to save him.

Besides, if he was understanding Jesus from the mind exchange they were having, there was a plan in place and that meant Negan had to be kept alive in order to see it to fruition. Decision finally made, Doctor Carson put the brief and not unpleasant image of Jesus actually taking Negan's advice out of his mind and bent down to assess exactly the amount of damage he would have to deal with to keep the bastard breathing. He dropped the large hiker's backpack he had been carrying and began rummaging through it to take out what he needed from the medical supplies he had packed before the siege.

Rick breathed out a ragged sigh after seeing the doctor bend to the task of dealing with Negan. He had watched with some trepidation, not knowing which side of the coin flip in the doctor's mind was going to land. Rick felt a slight modicum of disappointment at first when the doctor finally got down to the business of mending what he had diligently tried to tear apart. Then came the spark of hope in that one act of the doctor putting aside his chance at retribution. The hope that society, a good society, built not around brutality but on basic human decency could grow from all the pain and death that had brought them this far. Yes, this new world was one of survival, in its purest form, but in that one act Rick saw that the fittest of them didn't need have to be sustained at the hard price of subjugation.

Rick heard the moans of the living dead that were still contained on the main floor of the Sanctuary and was reminded of the true enemy. He looked at the crowd that was waiting in silence for what was to come. Waiting to judge him for the next step he was about to take.

Then he looked at his family. First to Maggie who had as large a stake as he did in the fate he was about to decide. She took a few steps forward to stand beside him to show the people that they were united in whatever was going to be said from here on. Then he looked at his son, the young man who held most of his hope for the future and then finally he turned to those big beautiful almond shaped deep brown eyes,where all the rest of his hope and love lay. The look _she_ returned said everything he needed to spur him forward. The look that said ' _I'm with you. Always'_ turned that spark of hope to the fire of determination. That determination drove him to speak.

"So," Rick began, his gravelly drawl carrying over the wind to every ear straining to hear, "It's over. _This_ ," gestured to Negan's body being worked over back to himself and then to the Saviors kneeling, "Is _OVER."_

"Don't look too over just yet to me," voiced a bent kneed Savior who swiftly got four head tilt/squint combos from the Grimes family and Maggie and a rifle butt to the back of his head for daring to interrupt.

"You all hear that," Rick gestured to the building that was emitting the groaning sounds of the dead, " _That_ is NOT over. Fighting _that_ is the only thing that doesn't _end today._ Fighting each other and killing what little future we need to build _ENDS TODAY._ Negan and his bat _Ends Now!"_

Rick took a breath and glanced back at his woman and son, then glanced at the doctor working on Negan, "We begin today. We begin by being better, We begin by living. Not just surviving. We begin by showing we do _not bow down_. Do not _sink_ down and be the worst of us. We do _not_ let sins go unpunished either."

Rick glared out to the kneeling Saviors, "Now... if you _want_ this to be really be over, you start here. You start now. Fight with us. Work with us. Together we can show that we aren't going to lie down and live like the dead. Punish _him_ by proving that we are gonna really live. Live to fight the real enemy. Live to make a real future. One that has him looking out and wishing he was one of the us doing the living. Not feeding off of us. Like them."

The silence felt heavy with the weight of anticipation. Could they go on from today? Would they be able to clean the blood from their hands? Should they even begin to try to hope for a different… a better future? A future that would be hard, but worth it because it was one that they had all fought for, together.

One by one, all eyes riveted on Rick began to glint with the fire that his words stirred up in them. Determination, savage grit and honesty in the form of two pure blue eyes stared right back at them. It felt like he had looked into each one of them individually and judged them for the decision they were all about to make.

Strangely, it was Morgan who answered for them all. Appropriate in hindsight, him being the first to have ever encountered Rick in the long ago beginning.

"That's a long road you got us walking on Rick," Morgan paused, his inner demon doused in red fighting to go against the reason that was trying to stay on the surface. "But … _but_ as they say, a journey begins with a single step. And… and all the death I see, it's not going to really end … but this… _this_ can be the start of something. I believe that. I believe... in you Rick."

Rick held in the sigh of relief that threatened to break through. He tried to express his gratefulness to his very first ally when he had started his own journey in his search to find his family. Rick knew the struggle and the loss that Morgan had to overcome… was still trying to overcome, to stand up for him now at the end of it all.

"I believe in you too Rick!" Dwight shouted from where he stood. He really _wanted_ to believe they could be better and he damn sure believed that he needed to be a better man that would make his wife be proud, no matter where she was. And double damn if he didn't need to know Negan was going to suffer, watching all he tried to destroy thrive with him having no say in the matter. "Yeah… I believe in you Rick Grimes."

A slow smile crept up onto Rick's face when he looked over to Michonne to see if she was witnessing this turn in the tide. Of course she was looking straight back at him, returning the same small smile. His chest broadened just a little bit more under the sun of that smile she gave him. It was almost comical the simultaneous thought of _'Soon'_ that was communicated between the two leading victors of the dangerous game they had just played. She took the few steps toward him and grasped the hand that was instinctually held out for only hers, as always.

They both turned back to the crowd as a united front and with 'soon' on his mind and heat in his glare he turned back to the crowd and said, "Well alright… We got things to do and places to be so no time better than now. Lets begin."

 *****WSWSWSWSWSWSWSWS*****

 **A/n: My lovelies! How y'all been? Happy New Year! Yes, a full 3 months later but there's a reason for that. I recently lost .5 of a win against a certain other awesome author (rhymes with Smichonne4Mife) to update just in time for New Year's. That... didn't happen. I have managed to finagle a .5 win tho... SHE KNOWS WHY so here I am, hat in hand, with part 1 of the very end of this, My Firstborn Baby Fic. It has been such a great joy to write this story but the greatest joy came from you, all my readers for your amazing response to what I've come to dub "How TWD Was Supposed To Happen!"**

 **I can't even begin to tell y'all every good thing that came from this story that my beautiful beta inspired me to write but I can say that at the very least it brought me to this wonderful, hilarious, support AF fandom and I am simply verklempt over the love I have for each of you. The old and the new! The faves and the reviews. Lord... y'all just got me emotional. So, since this is like the title said, the beginning of the end, I wanted to send you all a big hug and all the kisses I can give.**

 **This chapter was split in half because it was originally a ridiculously long wordy chapter and then I was like ... wait Winter... why you think you have to cram it all in one. Just because you said the next chapter was gonna be the last one? Well, this is my story and I can do what I want so I did. I split it. And I know what y'all were looking for in this and I'm saying this... it's definitely in the next one. The next chapter will be the last and it will be part conclusion, part epilogue and part lead in to my new fic "Retribution" and definitely that bit that you may feel cheated out of will be delivered to you... on a hot plate. At least I hope you think it will be hot. ;-)**

 **Now to my favorite part - your awesome reviews**

Heyyyy emeraldislegirl! You and everybody asking me bout swoll belly Michonne... I dunno mama, we'll have to see won't we. I didn't mean to make you emotional... wait... yes I did. Loved that you felt what I was trying to put across about this amazing couple.

dramioneverlarkPeetatoRichonne always a pleasure reading your reviews and yes you still are such a driving force. I hope you like my next contribution but I'm sure you'll let me know.

amberjoy38 and I'm actually just as excited as you are to bring Retribution out into the open. I'm hoping I will update it more frequently than my first baby so I'm going to have a few chapters complete before I drop it and I hope you still like it!

BIG SIGH... Richonne4Life you... you have some nerve. Your threats have driven me to the drop of this chapter AS IT IS. Praise be to the Boseman believes that. Think you got a little taste of what you've put me through for the last year of 437 FHK (you know what that stands for). If you wasn't so damn talented, I'd almost be mad at you... ALMOST. PS congrats on your 1.5 of a win.

firefly-class Thank you for sticking with me and my slow updating. I blame Aquarius being in retrograde. Truly.

atm0000 I know so many people are big mad at me. BIG MAD, but it felt right to leave that bastard alive. It felt organic. I hope you aren't too disappointed. I love writing Carl and I love that you like how he HANDLED Renee like a boss. He stays shutting them down in my opinion.

oh my pretty baby bird evealacran - Michonne gonna get her break and foot rub and long bath. Trust! You did me proud with your Eat a Dick! I was very proud indeed.

member00 Our boy Carl is his father's son! and you and everybody else tryna knock up Michonne all up in the apocalypse! Between you and sophiasown Michonne would be walking around the ZA dropping babies like she drops Walker heads with her katana. I know you looking for how I exercised my rights to the trademark phrase. It is has been exercised. I promise you.

Speaking of sophiasown, how much do I adore you. I know you still big mad and with the Beat Winter's Ass for leaving Negan alive Crew but you know I had to. I felt it. Deep in my heart... there is so much more punishment in leaving him alive. Thank you for seeing it. xoxo

Welcome welcome welcome my new Guest reviewers and new readers Tpow86, Mr Glooms, lanie-love09 and theFandomrandom! So happy to see you and hope you enjoyed the ride! Thank you for your awesome reviews!

MannaRN blame me for missing the update. I had a long stop at the procrastination station at top of the Block of Writer's so it's real easy to have missed it. When I read stuff like "the best depictions of All Out War/Richonne/Team Family/Grimes2.0..." I legit tear up and I can't even begin to say thank you. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it.

nwfanmega... LISTEN... LISTEN BRANDI... you are supposed to be working on Being Best in the 2k19 and guess what... you're getting there. Sort of. Join the queue my dearest one. You and everybody gonna stay Big Mad at me forever? or is forgiveness on the horizon... or nah? I never promised. You know I didn't. BE BEST!

Finally, the moon of my life comewithnattah - you know I do nothing but wait for your reviews and lose sleep over your every thought. Thank you for being in my life and being an amazing moon and star. I love you even with the whole three stooges kink and all. You comparing me to the writers of that show I can't watch anymore gives me all kinds of life. Thank you.

As usual all kudos to my amazing beta AFanWhoFeelsThings. You make everything better and your friendship is one of the cherished joys of my simple life.


	28. Chapter 28

**TWENTY EIGHT**

 **THE BEGINNING... FOR THE END**

 **PART 2 (AKA The End... )**

"Wait, wait ...mmm wait," Rick couldn't believe he was putting a halt to all the deliciousness he was feeling but he had something that he wanted … no needed to say. Michonne pulled back from her comfortable spot from the crook of his neck and stared up at him with a wondering look. They had finally got Judith to sleep and Rick had _ever so gingerly_ picked her up and put her in the room adjacent to theirs at Hilltop. The little spitfire hadn't let go of her mother from the moment she saw her walking through the gates.

" _Too long Mama. You gone too long," the little one had whispered in Michonne's ear and hugged her tighter. Michonne returned her little girl's embrace just as tightly and felt the tears fall into her long blonde curls and whispered back, "I know Babygirl. Never again. I won't leave for so long ever again." Michonne hoped she was telling her daughter the truth with all of her heart. They had earned this respite. Had fought hard for this final calm. Blood be damned. This little girl was hers and by god she was going to try her best to keep this promise to never be separated from another child of hers ever again._

 _Michonne had kept Judith in her arms from the gate to the infirmary where they took the finally unconscious Negan. While they waited for Doc Carter to finish his attempt at repairing the severe damage done to Negan's body, Rick and Michonne listened joyfully to the baby talk of the three year old determined to fill them in on everything she had been up to since she had last seen her mother. She even asked Michonne if she used the guerilla war tactics of going in and taking all of Negan's toys away while he slept. Michonne assured Judith, that yes, her and Daddy most certainly took all of Negan's toys away. Even his favorite one. She praised Judith's warmonger prowess and thanked her for her very good advice._

 _When Judith pointedly asked why the bad man wasn't dead already, both her and Rick did a double take. Rick knew right then and there that that was Shane's voice coming out of his daughter's mouth and that she was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. He also knew he was in for a long wait for the sweet hereafter he'd been looking forward to since the end of their battle at the Sanctuary. He was dealing with the one person in all the world that knew every cockblocking strategy in the book from birth it would seem. From the way she was glued to his woman's hip he knew that the rest of the day was going to be an exercise in restraint and toddler sideyes._

 _He had felt guilty when even in his joy at seeing his little girl running towards them when they entered Hilltop's gates, he had the tiniest wish that she was somewhere inside the colossal Barrington house instead of right there to greet them. Thinking maybe on their way to pick Judith up him and Michonne could have a repeat of that one time he had Michonne bent over Maggie's desk in her office. That last time they had almost been caught and Maggie did mention some time later, rather snippily he thought, that the next time they needed a "meeting in her office" the least they could do was open a window and fix the papers on her desk back in order. But alas that tiny hope had been in vain._

 _After one look at Michonne with the iron grip that she had on Judith from the moment she jumped into her arms, he knew that any proposed detours would have been summarily nixed anyway. He resigned himself to the thought that waiting was sometimes part of the fun. He let the anticipation linger at the back of his mind and away from his lower regions that acted like a homing penis anytime he was within a foot of his woman. He even managed to look a bit hurt when he had said, "What, no hugs for Daddy? I was gone longer than Mommy was!" and was once again taken aback by the very astute child when she had replied, "Daddy, you always gone. Longer than Mommy… and you always come back. Mama never stay so long. She said she bring you back but it took sooooooo looonggg." Unable to argue with that particular brand of logic Rick waited his turn for his daughter's affection which came in due time._

Now, though, he was biding his time. In the course of his waiting and watching the love between Michonne and Judith from the sidelines, he again realized just how important this beautiful warrior of a woman was to him and his family. How vital to his existence she had become over the winding, traversing road of time. From the big horrors to the brief but precious times of bliss. She had said she was still with him. Would always be with him. She never wavered in that promise. Even when he was at his most despairing.

Hell, she stuck with him even during his ride on the crazy train when they first found Alexandria. She may have knocked him out way back then, but she was there when he woke up, like he subconsciously knew she would be. He would never know who to thank up above for this woman who he had decidedly thought he didn't deserve. So he thanked her….profusely, every chance he got. For sticking with him through it all. Now he had one more move to make sure she knew just how very thankful he was to have her in his life. He had made a promise to himself, that after all the madness and mayhem he would make sure to thank her properly.

That promise was what was keeping him from returning her devouring kisses at that very moment.

He turned his head toward her quizzical look and grabbed her chin and nuzzled her nose with his to get her attention. He then took a reluctant step back, and placed his hands on her shoulders to put a bit of space between them. Her proximity did thangs to him and he needed to get this out before they could proceed.

"I been.. Uh… well, I um," he stuttered. Michonne's eye quirked up at this brand new nervous Rick that she had never been witness too. If Rick was anything, he was a man of few words, but each word he spoke always had deep purpose. This stuttering, jittery thing he was doing was a new look on him. One she found perplexing but still adorable.

"Rick?" she questioned.

"Wait a second. I just had to say something," he said, "um… ok. I don't know if you noticed… when umm… we first got to the Sanctuary and that piece of garbage started talking?"

He looked down at her, almost shyly, to see if she recalled the moment he was talking about. Recognition immediately lit up in her eyes. She never failed to surprise him at how in sync she always seemed to be with him. He knew she knew the exact moment he was referring to because she _knew him_. And he knew she knew, in that instant, why he had halted their long awaited victory dance. She looked back at him expectantly with a _go on, continue_ look and waited for him to get his words out.

His confidence and his swagger came back in that instant. What did he have to be nervous for after all, he questioned himself. Look at the simply fabulous woman he had managed to pull. He was _Rick Motherfucking Grimes_ she had once told him in one of their sequestered strategy sessions. That pride she had in him bolstered him, took all the stutter out of his speech and replaced it with the steady cadence of a _motherfucker_ who knew what he had to say and how to say it.

"Well you know when I called you my wife," he started, fiddling around in his pocket, quietly grateful that he had thought to ask Daryl to hold onto the precious cargo he was about to pull out days before he was grabbed by those vermin of the trash heap. "When I said it, you didn't flinch. Never once have you flinched actually. About anything I've said or done. But I realized then that I wasn't quite telling the truth. And you know… I like to be as honest as possible."

"Yes, yes you do," Michonne murmured and waited.

"Well, when I called you my wife I meant it but that ain't quite the truth is it?" His voice went a bit raspier as it deepened, sending a thrill of tingles down Michonne's spine. "I mean, I don't think we made it official is what I'm saying."

Rick paused and looked down into her deep dark eyes and saw a future of being loved by this woman in the galaxy of her irises. He pulled the small velvet box out of the pocket of his (brand new) jeans and bent down on one knee. She looked down at him with a small smile and tears glistening behind her eyes waiting for the moment to burst forth.

"Michonne, I realized a long time that you were everything I could have wished for in this world and the old one. You believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. You've fought beside me and _for_ me for as long as I can remember. So what I'm asking now is… can I be the honest man I like to be? Can I make calling you my wife the truth?"

"Yes."

No hesitation. No pauses for dramatic effect. Michonne answered in the affirmative so fast, he almost missed the whispered acquiescence to his formal request. She did take a moment to gaze at the glowing light that seemed to emanate from the blazing blue sapphire that glinted and picked up the small flicker of candlelight that lit the room. The cushion cut jewel itself, two carats at least, sat atop its loft, looking as though it was floating in the tiny diamonds that surrounded its circumference. The band itself were actually two bands intertwined and wrapped around themselves. The shining of whatever light metal the ring was wrought from, Michonne guessed white gold, interwoven with dark and light bevels to showcase delicate snakeskin design twisting and turning in a braid, never knowing where the one started and the other began. Wherever Rick had found this ring, Michonne thought, it must have been preordained. It couldn't have been more perfect if he had burrowed into her brain and went looking for "the most perfect ring to give Michonne".

After that split second of ring perusal, she held her left hand out and dangled the specific finger that was going to be the ring's home for the rest of her life. Rick immediately took the ring out of it encasement and placed it on its rightful owner's finger. Once it slid into place, a little loose for his liking but he'd get that fixed by fattening her up in the most delectable way possible, he looked back up and said, "Yeah?" It sounded like a question but it felt more like an affirmation.

She nodded and the tears that she had been holding finally broke the tremulous dam holding them at bay. _Fuck it_ she thought, _cry woman if you have to. This… THIS is something that is worth crying for._ The powerful feeling that had her overcome was the only shock to her system. Michonne had always felt _something_ when it came to Rick. She knew it from the moment they had first locked eyes, _something_ important had rocked her world to its core. This man had moved mountains to do her bidding. He had overcome the lowest depths of despair to rise for her and her vision of the future. A future where they _lived_ to be together. They _lived_ to bring a future into the light with every slash of her sword and every bullet from his arsenal.

Yes, they had gone through some rough times. Some downright, lay down and die and give up hope times, but through it all and at the end of the long dark days they made it through… together. Now this man, who she had pledged herself to long ago, whether officially or not, was in front of her, on bended knee.

Marriage hadn't really mattered to her in the old world. What was a piece of paper with names signed on a dotted line when there was proof of love embodied in a beautiful child and a life of _things_ that used to matter. She used to think herself this superbly modern woman. _Marriage!?_ she had scoffed, who needs the paperwork? The very notion of a legalized partnership went against her brilliant legal instincts and they were the _New Black Progressives,_ her and Mike. They had built a life together. Built on both of their successes. Firm partnership status for Michonne and a sizable grant for Mike furthering his aspirations to be the architect that "re-designed Atlanta into the chocolate mecca it deserved to be." All that culminating in the infinitely perfect package that was her beautiful baby boy. The absolute perfect mixture of her eyes, his mouth, her cheekbones, his smile, her giggle… absolutely perfect.

Now absolutely gone.

None of their achievements mattered when the world ended. Not her many hard fought legal victories and certainly not his accolades in all the architectural digests of "ones to watch". None of that mattered when she couldn't find anything of her perfect little boy that dreadful day. But this… _this_ mattered. This man, on his knees, asking her to be with him for the rest of forever. _This was different_. This was, "god I can't believe I met the actual equal to my everything" different. This was… everything. Everything she never knew she didn't have until the moment she felt his hand in hers with nothing but a small roll of mints between them.

In a flash, Michonne remembered the utter despair she felt when all she saw was her precious baby's little shoe, covered in gore. She remembered the burning rage when she looked at Mike's dying form, begging her for forgiveness. As if there were a world in which she could forgive the ultimately unforgivable. Not with Terry's weak breathing, so close… so … in the very vicinity of where her baby Andre should have been. Where they should have stood, standing sentry to protect her boy until their dying breaths. Instead, both of them weak and clearly unworthy were there. Standing in protection of only themselves. No sign of her child except for that little shoe.

No, there was no forgiveness in her left to give. No remnants of love from days long gone, replaced with the pall of disappointment and disdain.

The flash of memory came and didn't cut as deep as she thought it would. Only because here, before her, was a man she knew would have fought until his dying breath to save her son had it been in his power. A man who would have cut down anything or anyone that stood between the milliseconds that would have meant life and death for her lost boy.

Solemn seconds passed as the momentous occasion that presented itself stood before the two warrior lovers.

Michonne looked at the ring, its jewel sparkling and glinting up at her and decided another second couldn't go by without her lips on the man she loved.

She got down on one knee, mirroring his form in front of her and grasped his face with both her hands. She gave him one long gaze before pulling him forward.

"Yes," was all she said as she brought his lips toward hers. Right before their lips met, Rick paused and pulled his head gently up to incline above hers to look her directly in the eyes to say, "Thank you."

Their mouths clashed together with a force that neither could have foreseen. Their lips parted instantaneously to accommodate the tongues that desperately needed to reacquaint themselves with each other. It was sloppy. It was noisy. It was a fight for domination but in the end it was full of love.

They finally pulled away to catch some of that good oxygen that they needed but only for mere seconds. Time enough to pull the each other's tops off. Rick dove in for one of his favorite spots on Michonne's body once he was rid of any detrimental fabric deterrents. That special little curvature of skin from the top of her shoulder that lead right up to behind her earlobe. He licked a fiery path, nibbling and taking small licks to the small bitten places. He made his way upwards toward that special secret spot behind her ear and she graced him with a wanton moan the moment he found it.

His hands were not idle. They had already wandered the smooth curves of her waist and while one had gone one way to the bounty that was her soft breast, the other was making its way to its desired location only to find the barrier of her tight pants. That just wouldn't do. Once Rick had felt the rise of Michonne's nipple in his one hand, he couldn't control the jealousy of his other that dove into the front of the fabric of both the leggings that she wore and the cotton underwear that had encased the object of his desires.

"Mmmm… my god…" he mumbled having a mouthful of nipple and breast, "thank you baby," Rick said when his fingers met the tumult of wetness that was Michonne's hot center. He loved the feel of it on his fingers. The way he could glide through with no obstruction from her clit to her heated canal to her most secret place, that was puckering in a pulse with her heartbeat. His long middle finger found that most secret aperture and circled it lightly. He was graced with the shiver that light touch had caused. _One day,_ he thought, _one day soon,_ he thought and then sinfully dipped his finger in… _just a little_ , as if his finger was in pure disagreement to his waiting. He pushed in a little more and Michonne instinctively arched her back. _Yeah,_ he thought, _definitely one day soon._

Michonne writhed under his perusal of her body. With nothing but the hard plank of the wooden floor to balance her, she laid back to take his grateful thankfulness. Seeing her lithe body, prone and ripe for the taking before him, Rick could only put forth a slight moan of appreciation. He placed a hand on each knee from the bent legs that he knelt between.

"God. You're so beautiful," he whispered desperately as he looked down at her. He needed her. Now. He tugged the material covering his most covetous space down and was met with the weak restrictions of her thick woolen socks. Those had to go. Immediately. In a pull and a flash, she lay naked beneath him towering above her. Just the way he liked it.

Rick stood up, using her knees for a bit of leverage to tower above her. For some reason he wanted her to see. Not the dominance of him standing above her with the very compelling view of his powerful erection above her, no. He wanted her to see all the love, unbidden and free that he had to give. Still stood between her legs he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down to reveal the full monument of his love to this glorious woman. Michonne kept his blue laser-focused gaze, but couldn't help the glance at the powerful member that she was well acquainted with but was always pleasantly surprised to see.

She reached up with her right hand to cup his heavy sack while the other hand went straight for the long shaft. Rick nearly buckled over at the feel of her small hand that could only just encircle his girth before it started the rhythmic stroke that eased a small drizzle from the bulbous head. Instead he grasped the back of her head for balance and gripped the soft locs tighter with every upstroke. His sucked a side of his bottom lip between his teeth and stared down blue fire into her smoldering brown eyes as she brought her beautiful puffed lips to the mushroom cap to get a taste. A taste was all he was ready to allow her really, because those few small licks and seeing the resulting spurt of more of his pre-essence on the tip of her tongue was all he could take.

His nostrils flared when he pulled her head back and saw that he was still somewhat attached to her mouth by the tenuous string; a mixture of her saliva and his precum. She licked her bottom lip to break the connection while still looking up at him, returning the lust filled gaze he gave to her.

Rick bent down and gripped her by her shoulders to pull her up hurriedly. She stood under his guidance and remained pliant in his grasp. They stood there for a second while Rick tried to decide how he wanted her. She stood there defiantly looking back at him trying to anticipate his next move. They were not ones for the gentle caresses of young love. They were warriors at heart. They were _victorious_ warriors at that. The loving sweet nothings that were whispered in the dark were not part of their repertoire. Even when the occasion called for the slow and measured smoothness of lovemaking they both knew _this_ was not going to be a time for that. Yes, they loved each other but it was a love born from the fire of battle. The battle that they fought every day to stay in the land of the living. And today… by god, today they were going to celebrate that fire and that victory the only way they knew how. After all, gentle wasn't how they got down.

Resolved in this knowledge, Michonne whispered, "Yes," again, because she knew that was exactly what those burning blues wanted from her. She knew that was all Rick wanted to hear from her this night. He didn't care if the entire Hilltop community was awakened by her cries. He breathed in a ragged breath at that one word and he grasped the sexiest curve of hips he had the good luck to ever have under his fingertips.

He walked her backwards until the back of her legs hit the four poster bed that was his own little kingdom he was going to hold dominion over for the next few hours. Michonne slowly sat down and then backed her way slowly to the headboard. Once she reached her destination she brought her knees up then spread them, opening herself up to her man.

"Yes" she said a little louder.

Rick put one knee on the bed and began his slow crawl to the place he had wanted to be for the rest of his life and stopped short to look over his woman. He started at her eyes and stayed his gaze for a beat before flicking his glance downward, knowing she would follow his silent instruction. Of course she knew what to do and moaned at the sight of his strong hand stroking his engorged cock. Her mouth watered. She wanted it back in her mouth but she knew that was for later. She wanted him inside her another way. More than anything she had ever wanted in her life.

While his gaze went from her eyes down to that beautiful heart shaped mouth of hers, she brought her hands to her breasts and cupped them both, as if in offering. She held them up and pinched each nipple and felt the tightening and release it caused in the lower muscles of her aching center.

"Those mine?" Rick asked.

"Yes." She pinched her nipples again and then brought her right breast up as far as she could to her mouth then leaned down to give it a light tantalizing lick.

Rick had made his ways on his knees to her and took her hand away so he could get his own taste of the taut rise of her nipple. He continued his rhythmic stroke on his steel hard cock as he paid homage to both breasts as Michonne head fell backwards with a hiss of "Yessss."

He went from her delectable berries to make his way to the valley between her breasts and licked his way back up to his other favorite curve up to the spot behind her ear.

"Mine, always," he rasped into her ear before he gave her light bite and then soothed it with a suckling kiss.

"Yes."

It sounded like a growl this time and Rick felt the fierceness of it. Felt the power of this woman giving everything of herself to him. The power of her loving him and the force of it almost overwhelmed. _Almost._

He couldn't hold back anymore. He grasped the nape of her neck which made her bend her head back, offering her lips to him. He took that offering. With everything in him, he kissed his woman, his mouth encompassing both her plush lips while his tongue plundered the inside of her mouth. She returned that power with an equanimity that only she could provide. He brought his hands down to her hips and backed up quickly to drag her with him.

His lean frame covered her entire small lithe body. He always marveled at all the strength that came in this deceptively tiny frame. Sometimes it only occurred to him she was so much smaller in moments like these or when he was looking down at her getting lost in the deep cocoa of her eyes. How she was blessed with every curve god knew to put on a woman he'd never fathom. He almost got lost in his thoughts again when his gaze traveled down to her flat tummy but he regained his purpose when his eyes hit the promised land that was the glistening junction of her thighs. She was so ready for him and it showed every time she writhed under his glare. The tops of her thighs near shined with her arousal. He just needed a little taste of that sticky nectar so he took it, dipping his index finger down and ran it between her folds from the top to bottom. Barely grazing the swollen peeking head of her clit and down to her entrance. He brought his finger to her lips and she took into her mouth and sucked it clean.

He didn't need to ask but he did anyway, "You ready for me?"

"Yessss Rick." she answered back.

He was too.

He took hold of the base of his manhood and pressed it between her heated folds and slid it back and forth. He kept his thumbs on top of his rearing hot member and pressed down to get a bit of teasing friction. He pressed his drizzling mushroom cap down on her clit harder with every sumptuous pass.

"You sure," he asked once more but didn't wait for the coming yes. He thrust in on his downward slide. She still said it though. Loudly. Affirmation clear as he filled her. The homing instinct strong, his cock found its rightful place inside its hot wet destination, hitting the spot that was deep inside her that no one had ever reached.

"Is this mine Michonne?" He ground in with a slight swivel to his hips to make sure he hit every corner of that pussy.

"Ohhhhh… myyyy …," Michonne's eyes had closed and she was in another world as Rick moved with purpose into her. She couldn't focus anymore as his thrusts were slow on the pull out but powerful on the return.

Rick wasn't satisfied with her partial answer though.

"Yours… really baby?" he said and slowed down even more on his pullback and paused, leaving his bulbous head just inside of her. He looked down to where they were joined and nearly exploded at the sight of his red tinted penis covered in the creamy proof of her arousal. The head barely seen as it was tightly ensconced inside her, twitched with its eagerness for release. Rick needed to hear her yes's. Every time he heard her say it motivated him to hear it again. Louder. He didn't care if the whole of Hilltop heard him. He hoped that son-of a bitch heard her while he lay there healing from the hole Rick had put in him. He wanted Negan to hear the joyous victory cry of his woman calling out HIS name and know he had been bested. Not by Rick but this woman under him who had made him fight for their survival. The thought of that alone made Rick pull out entirely and grab Michonne by her waist and flip her over onto her stomach.

He bent down, gave her delectable ass cheek a small bite and squeeze before lifting her up to her knees. He stretched down into a lean so he could whisper in her ear, "Are you mine Michonne?"

As the last syllable of her name escaped his lips he thrust into her tightness and stood still. Holding his position, he watched her ass as she did a little circular hip action, trying to maneuver his girth into movement. Rick wasn't having any of that. He slapped her ass cheek and watch the small wave that it caused and his dick twitched. The movement caused a shiver to run straight through her body and she convulsed around him.

The laws of cause and effect took over and Rick could no longer keep still after feeling that pulsating tightness tremor around him. He pulled out and pushed into Michonne with the all the bullish force of a man on the edge. He was going to get his answer though. He knew she wasn't being stubborn. He knew that with every powerful thrust he began driving into her that she just didn't have the wherewithal to form a single word. If he could see her face he would have seen her eyes closed and mouth wide open in a silent wail of ecstasy every time he went deeper and deeper into her.

He knew he had her where he wanted her when he straightened up on his knees and had one hand on her back bending her even further down.

"Oh… ungghhh…. Ye…. yee… my ...uuuungh" she stuttered out as he hit that spot over and over _and over_ again. She thanked her yoga gods again as she managed to push back and Rick found himself standing at the foot of the bed pummeling up into her canal and she was bent with her forehead hitting the bed to the intense rhythm he was drumming into her.

"Is this pussy mine?" Sweat rolled down into his eyes that couldn't see as they were rolled into the back of his head from the intense pleasure of feeling this perfect fit of a woman around him. "Tell me Michonne. You gonna give it to me? Give me all of you?"

"YES!" she screamed and surprised her own self at the boisterous bellow she had let out. She tried to cover her mouth, very cognizant of the proximity of the young ears that usually perked up at the most inopportune times. Rick wasn't having any of that either. He took hold of her shoulder with one hand and got a handful of her hair in his other and pulled her up swiftly. He swiveled his hips and pulled down on her shoulder and had her hair in such strong grip that her head was bent back. Her hand covering her mouth couldn't cover the sexiest keening " _yessssss"_ she delivered to Rick's ears.

This was one time that Judith was gonna have to wait. If Rick had heard one peep coming from the direction of his munchkin spitfire he had big plans of ignoring it. Nothing was going to stop this thorough fucking Michonne was getting. The bed began to move in time to the song that the two lovers were making and the headboard provided the bass. Michonne felt the awaiting explosion coiling in her core. Rick felt her pulsing faster around him and pulled out quickly. Before Michonne could get out her first "No" of the evening at the loss of emptiness of being without Rick's driving force, he had her on her back and legs spread and was back in her still throbbing pussy in a matter of seconds. She was already wet enough for him to slide snugly in and she was molded to the shape of him that he fit like the final piece of a puzzle that was her body.

He had her legs in the crook of each arm and returned to his job of getting the ultimate "yes" from her lips. Nothing existed outside of that moment he felt her entire body begin to tremble. It started as a slight tremor that belied the fast and hard grip her inner walls had on his cock. He usually went for her clit when she began her ascent into the heaven that was her orgasm but she put both of her hands at her the top of her folds and spread them for him. Showing him that he didn't need to intensify the already intense feeling that he had built up in her. He looked down at her fully open to him, her sticky nectar was thick on his driving manhood, the pearly head of clit protruding proudly from it's hood and he bit his lip hard. The veins of his cock were fully visible, raised and full with all the blood that was pumped down to them.

"Gotdamn... Michonne," Rick could only growl out his pleasure at the sight of her taking every inch of him inside of her, "Gotdamn..."

He brought his eyes up to look into hers and found her staring right back at him. He brought her legs up to his shoulders and leaned down to get impossibly closer to her. Always in sync with him, she leaned up to meet him. Staring into the dark holes that desire had blown so wide that only a thin ring of the usual sky blue around his pupils could be seen. She lost herself in the deep dark chasms love had wrought as he did the same. Neither could look away even if they wanted too. They both felt the moment that mirrored the first time set eyes on the each other. The same pull. The same force that shook them both before they even knew the other's name. They were bound to each other from that moment even though they didn't know it at the time.

Rick knew something had happened inside him that miraculous day that Michonne appeared at that prison gate. He felt something change in him. He knew that life would never be the same, even though it took something as small as the precious roll of mints to finally get there. He had known before that night of the mints. It was that knowledge that had made him be the one to nudge those mints out of the way so he could feel her small hand in his. He had known when she had nervously looked up at him and he had given her the confident look of a man that knew what he had wanted for so long. He had known as he bided his time while he watched her deal with the healing of his son, the healing of his heart and the healing of his family.

Just like he knew as he again gazed into the forever of her eyes that, yes, she was his, but he was hers. Hers to grow with in this new world. Hers to follow where her hope lead. Hers to love to like this for the rest of his days.

"Mine," he said with certainty as he stroked into her and felt her spill out her release all over him. He had hit a spot even she didn't know was there and it sent her orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave, figuratively and literally. She bucked and pulled as if she were trying to escape the rolling of his hips all the while feeling like she needed more of him. The dichotomy of her actions made her mind spin in ways she wouldn't be able to recall later. Rick didn't let the stream of her ecstasy halt his motions. In fact, it spurred him on to see just how much pleasure she could take. He held onto her hips and kept her legs in their upright position. "Mine." He repeated and held her in position switching his gaze from her eyes down to the river flowing out of her.

"YES! Yes! Yesss!," Michonne screamed it over and over again as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. "Yours. Rick! I'm yours!"

Surely the whole of Barrington house heard that proclamation but Rick had his own proclamations to give as he finally let go of the release he had been working towards. "And... I'm... Yours.. Michonne." He punctuated every word of his statement with a hard thrust. He felt his balls tighten to an almost painful point and then almost blacked out from the force of his come bursting forth from him in steady spurts. "And... I'm... Yours.. Michonne! Forever...ohhh my god."

He couldn't keep his hips from moving into her as he poured what felt like his soul into her. Michonne felt every burst coming from him and hitting jackpots in the deepest part of her and had a rebounder of an orgasm take her by surprise as she pulsated around him.

"You're mine." she repeated back to him.

Forever had already begun.


	29. Chapter 29

**TWENTY NINE**

 **Chapter Twenty Nine**

 **An Epilogue... of sorts**

"Thank you brother," Rick said from behind the steering wheel, his finger itching to turn the ignition in his own excitement to be away, even for just a little while, from the smoldering battleground of the Sanctuary. "You gonna be alright til we get back?"

"Man, just get on and handle your business," Daryl said, giving the other passenger of the pick up truck a quick glance then looked back at Rick with a knowing nod and a grunt that sounded like "congratulations". Michonne flashed a sweet grin in his direction before focusing her look in the rear view mirror at the scene framed in the small reflection. The smoke was dissipating and the moving bodies of all of their allies and former enemies alike were dispersing to follow the random orders that were being given out.

"We got it from here," Daryl assured his brother from another mother. "Like Morgan said, it's gon' be a long road to fixing all what's been broken here. Best you get started on your way so we can get started on ours."

Rick nodded back, "We'll be back as soon as the situation with _him_ is handled. Either way it goes, we'll be back to join you. You sure you don't want to come back with us now? I'm sure Judith would be happy to see her uncle again… And Maggie, she's already got a trailer earmarked and ready for you."

Daryl smirked at the audacity of hope within Maggie. She not only prepared for their victory but she included him in that preparation when he really felt he had no right to her generous forgiveness. "Yeah… Naw, I'm gonna stay her for a bit and help with the clean up and see how the rest of this day is gonna play out…" His voice trailed off as he glanced over to see Carol in deep conversation with Morgan. Rick tried to follow his brother's eyeline but his vision was obscured by the back of the truck but he could guess who had caught Daryl's attention.

"Well, alright then. Give us a couple of days and we'll be back. Whether he makes it or not." Rick grimaced, "There's a bat that needs burnin' and world that needs rebuilding." Daryl nodded his understanding and gave the roof of the pick up two knocks of his knuckles to send them on their way.

He watched the back of the vehicle as it disappeared in the distance, leaving a wake of road dust billowing in the air behind.

He felt her presence before she made herself known with a slight shoulder nudge and he looked down at her.

"Well, there they go," Carol said quietly, "I wonder if they'll even make it to the Hilltop without pulling over this time around?"

He gave his version of a chuckle before he replied, "Well we know for sure that they can definitely do what they need to do _in transit_. But I think Rick's got something that he wants to do before they get to that part."

Carol let out an actual guffaw at that. "Oh you saw them too?"

"Yeah, I saw 'em" he said, "Saw you seeing them too. Seemed like you were having a good time with his Great Talkiness too." He sideeyed her before he continued, "Saw you laughing. It was… good to see you laughing."

She didn't know how to respond and knowing Daryl she knew he wasn't expecting a response. She knew he had something else to say so she waited.

"Seems like anyone who can make you laugh like that again… and often," he took a deep breath and looked back into the distance of the disappearing caravan of cars moving to follow Rick, "Well, it seems to me like that that's the kind of person I think I can appreciate."

A feeling, something akin to relief came over Carol Peletier in that moment. She didn't understand why and she didn't really want to make heads or tails of it but she knew. She knew it was relief she felt when she got what she could only see as Daryl's blessing. Not that she needed it but she was grateful to have this one thing that she knew was all he could give to her. Besides Rick, Daryl was the only other person who knew who she was _before_. Knew the scared and trembling shell of a woman she was when the world as they knew it ended. Hell, Daryl had known her longer than even Rick. He had even known her bastard of a husband. Had _seen_ her bruises and for some reason, even back then she knew he was a kindred spirit and had known pain like hers. When he had brought her that Cherokee Rose and the story that had come with it to her so long ago she had known he understood what she had gone through and had brought her a glimmer of hope back then.

Even though it was all for naught.

Even when they both broke that horrible day at Hershel's farm so long ago. Even when he had to fight to hold onto her as she clawed and screamed to get to the monster that her only child had become, she knew he was broken apart just like she was. Yet he was with her when she had to rebuild. She rebuilt herself into someone no one would have recognised from the old days. He watched as she became stronger. As she became hard. Hard and brutal. She would never know his reaction to Rick when he was told that she was sent away but she knew when they were reunited again that he never stopped believing in her. In her new learned ability to survive. He was her silent sentry. She would always be connected to him until her last day on this godforsaken earth.

She would also remember this, his gift of acceptance and blessing. Yes, she had abandoned him in her search to become whole again. Her search to feel just a little bit more human. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do, leaving Alexandria the way she did. Leaving him behind was necessary as she too watched as he began to grow. As he began to open himself up more to the possibility of being more than just the outsider of their mishmash family. She left him because she knew if she had stayed, with the growing dark hole in her soul.

It would swallow her and he would have had to watch and see that darkness take her over. He wouldn't be able to be fully happy seeing that happen to her. She didn't want her darkness to seep into his ever growing light and snuff it out. The way it had been snuffed out in her time and time again. First with her beloved Sophia. Then with poor deranged Lizzie. Again with that soft little soul of young Sam, who she knowingly manipulated and twisted until he broke, just like she knew he would. No, that darkness would have killed him to see in her.

Morgan. Morgan saw it and knew her for what she was and had tried to pull her back into the light. Tried to make her see and even though she still thought his "all life was precious" mantra was always going to be a bunch of bullshit that she would never see the sense in, in this new brutal age of the damned, he had saved her. She would be forever indebted to him for bringing her to the Kingdom. Daryl didn't understand that the blessing he gave was really a blessing for her to be free. To be free to do what she needed to do to help Morgan who now needed her to pull him back into the light. Maybe someday in some fantastical future she would return to the laughter of the fairytale that King Ezekiel offered. But that was not who she was now. Now she would become Morgan's lighthouse beacon guiding him away from the deep dark waves of anger and despair that she had rose from. Romance in any form felt like some faraway star that she would never make a wish upon… and … she was alright with that. There was work to be done and she had knew what her job was.

She put her hand on Daryl's shoulder and stood with him and watched the lights of the caravan of trucks disappear in the distance. They stood together in their silent way. She hooked her small hand into the crook of his arm at the elbow and then she tilted her small head on his shoulder and his head declined to rest on top of hers.

"Thanks… Pookie," she whispered.

He grunted out a small chuckle and rubbed his chin on the top of her head.

###

"Well, you gotta give to him," Marie said, "The man certainly knows how to put down a good speech."

Gavin's chuckle turned into grimace from the flare it made in his ribcage. "Yeah, you could say that," he replied, "I can see where Carl gets it from. Short too. Gotta be grateful for that. Said what he had to say and then got down to business straight away."

"That's what made all the difference." Marie thought back to another speech giver she knew and rolled her eyes at the time she wasted listening to Negan drone on and on about the qualities of being a Savior. All of which he didn't realise he lacked being the greatest of all ironies.

"That ain't the only difference," Gavin came back with, "I don't know about you but I never came back from a half hours' worth of a Negan pontificating session feeling the way I did after listening to Rick for five minutes. I don't know about you but _that_ is what's made all the difference to me… ow… damn. Easy there doc."

"Oh hush you big baby," Marie said as she watched Eric apply some more hydrogen peroxide to Gavin's head wound before wrapping some clean gauze padding to it.

"Oh I'm not a doctor," Eric said, "The only one we had left in Alexandria was killed… right before all this." He paused as he thought of the awkward but well meaning psychologist turned unwilling (at first) town doctor Denise. Until Rick's group came he didn't know him and Aaron had a fellow member of the rainbow coalition within the community.

He found it astounding, even now all the changes that rocked his little community of survivors once Rick and his people came on the scene. He and Aaron still wondered, had Denise not found Tara would they never had known that they had a "sister-in-arms" among them. It was things like that, momentous and little that made him grateful for the moment he and Aaron had decided to bring the rough and ready survivors back to Alexandria so long ago.

"And Denise wasn't even our first doctor. But she stepped up after Rick killed our first doctor," he went on not seeing the "what the fuck he just say" look Marie gave him. Not being one to hold her tongue, Marie said exactly that, "What the fuck you just say? Did you say Rick killed your first doctor?" she exclaimed. That sounded way to close for comfort as she remembered the screams of the Sanctuary's doctor as he burned alive in the furnace that she had watched Negan condemn him to.

"Wait, wait wait…," Eric stuttered, when he realised his grossly negligent faux pas. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Well actually at the time it was pretty bad. Pete, that was his name, he was a wife beating asshole who just happened to know how to save a life… well I've never actually seen him save a life but he was a surgical doctor and he _did_ know how to set a bone. And well… you know what. I'm just gonna stop talking."

"Yeah babe," Aaron had come by and heard the tail end of his blabbermouth partner and shook his head, "Why don't you do that. Listen, you don't know us. I get that. You don't know Rick. But I can tell you this. Even back then, everything Rick has done since I've known him has been for a good reason. He's a protector. He fights for those who can't fight for themselves. And I'll tell you something else. Even if you don't know it yet, he fought today for you and every single person he left alive at the Sanctuary today."

Aaron gave Marie a steady look directly, "He's a good man. A good leader and I count myself grateful to be one of the people he's fighting for."

"Well that's all well and good for you," Marie said, "But I'll see for myself won't I?"

"Yes. I guess you will, " Aaron replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned to Eric to give him the status he was going to before his own version of "I believe in Rick Grimes" soliloquy, "So Rick and Michonne are headed back to Hilltop with Negan and the doctor. The Doc has more of a chance of saving Negan with whatever he has set up there. The King, Carol and Daryl stayed to organize the pull out of the herd that is wandering the floor of the Sanctuary and I'm staying to see to the Sanctuary survivors and make sure Rosita doesn't shoot any of them on general principal. Wanted to check with you and see what you wanted to do. Head back to Alexandria now or wait until Rick comes back."

Marie's head snapped back to Aaron when she heard a name she hadn't expected to hear ever again.

"I'm with you babe," Eric answered, "I'm not leaving your side for a long time." Aaron knew that would be his stance and wasn't surprised until Marie jumped from Gavin's side to grab him by the arm.

"Who did you say Rick was heading back with," she asked, "What was that name you said?"

"Michonne? Rick and Michonne," Aaron said, looking at his arm that Marie was squeezing tightly.

"Marie," Gavin had never seen the normally cool Marie look so perturbed, "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Michonne. You said Michonne right?" she questioned again, "Michonne Anthony?"

"Well, I honestly don't know her last name," Aaron said.

"Wellll, I think her name is Michonne Grimes now," Eric said, with a knowing smirk,"If it isn't now it's going to be." He and Aaron exchanged a knowing glance before Marie brought his attention back to her.

"Was she the woman I saw with Rick and his son. I couldn't really see her face from where I was in the crowd but is she the one that Carl said was his mother?"

Gavin answered before Aaron could, "Yeah. that's who he calls Mom. And I gotta tell ya, I've never been intimidated by a woman, present company excluded of course," he gave a sheepish grin to Marie before he continued, "Than that one. I've seen what she can do. And from what I've seen, she's a stone cold bad ass when it comes to her boy and that man Rick Grimes. Believe that."

Marie took a beat and then to the surprise of Gavin, Aaron and Eric she belted out a loud laugh. A laugh so jubilant and raucous that Gavin thought he was witnessing true madness born right in front of his eyes.

"He… hahahah.. He wanted ME to… hahahhaah… he asked me to... " Marie could barely get out what she was trying to say. The perfect pure audacity of irony had hit her fully and she couldn't hold in her glee. "Negan ... he was asking ME to be the one to welcome her. Oh this is priceless! This is too much."

Tears from her hard laughter had emerged from her caramel coated eyes and she shook her head.

"They're coming back you said," she said when she had calmed down somewhat, "Michonne is coming back with Rick?"

"I can't imagine them going anywhere without each other for awhile," Aaron answered.

"Well ok then. Then here is where I'll stay until she comes back," Marie stated and continued to giggle to herself. Gavin kept a wary eye on her but felt the relief lift the weight from his mind that Marie was going to remain with them. At least until Michonne came back and he'd find out what was so damned funny about that.

"Stop looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm good. Just… looking forward to this new beginning everyone has been talking about."

She and everyone else. Everyone felt it like the change in a season. The journey was just starting.

The road to the new beginning was here.


	30. Chapter 30

_**The HUGE A/N to End all A/Ns... (well just to end this story at least)**_

I can't believe that I was even able to finish this and I know it wouldn't have been without the support from the (what's a better word for awesome?) FUCKING Awesome people that I'm fittin' to acknowledge right now. As you know this was my favorite part of updating. Responding to all of your reviews was second only to me reading each and every one with the biggest smile on my face and giddy.

I am so thankful to each and every one of you who took the time out to read, comment, forward, tweet... thank you for everything. I get emotional just thinking about it so since we all know I'm tough as nails and despise any signs of weakness in human form let's... just get on with it shall we and ignore and subsequent emotional outbursts... I LOVE Y'ALL! ... erm... Yeah let's get to y'all's last reviews.

Heeeyyy Philly-Girl52 you still side-eyeing me? I know... you ain't the only one. I too side-eyed my own self when I saw where I was going with his story. I wanna say this... his punishment is going to be justified and he needed to stay alive in my universe for it to be realized. I hate him. Don't you ever think that I don't. I hate every lean, every lopsided smirk, every greasy hair on his head. I am NO FAN of Negan. He's a raping bastard and nothing anyone can say can convince me otherwise. Saying that... he lives because I saw no other way. I needed him to live to see my Richonne and family thrive. Watch his world get dismantled piece by piece. I'm going to explore my RETRIBUTION on him and I hope you'll see that he had to live. Also... it seems like Marie and Gavin were really popular and I'm happy to say you'll be seeing them again... soon.

member00 hope you read above and my hate for Negan is so very real but ain't it just like him to keep that mouth talkin' smack meanwhile his inner lining is now outerwear? Isn't it? Did you catch your phraseology? I hope you liked it because I certainly did. Having fought tooth and nail with nwfanmega for it I hope I did it justice.

Richnonne4life sigh. I feel bereft. I have NO leverage... except the fact that I just dropped AND finished this story which I think has put me over the current finish line at 3/1.5. GO WINTER! YOU'RE A WINNER! GO WINTER! YOU'RE A WINNER! Check me as I bust into a back handspring, smoothly transition into a round off with a half tuck and then stick the landing holding up a HUGE sign that just has 3/1.5 painted on it and Smichonne4Mife with a bullhorn singing "All Winter does is WIN WIN WIN at my side. Yeah... I did that. Annnnnyyyywaaaayy. I also have to say something ... sweet... I'm so glad I "met" you because of this story and even though you insist on giving me agita with your distinct lack of tongue insertions I am just really thrilled about knowing you... and god I love Contractions Of The Heart. All 8,368 forehead kissed of it.

DramionEverLarkPeetatoRichonne the reader/reviewer who on a consistent basis makes me tear up. You are the sweetest and I hope I earn your continued readership. Grimes 2.0 will never die in my universe. CARL will never be gone. He has a whole lot of living and getting grounded by his Mom to do. yah heard!

firefly-class do you still trust me? I hope so! Please know, as I again say it loud and proud, I HATE Negan! Hate him. Thank you for your trust.

sophiasown I don't even have the words to write to thank you for the support you've shown me. You were my keeper of the keys to this fandom world and you're friendship has been the sweetest surprise of a gift that this story has brought me. Your reviews, your thoughts, your absolute refusal to give up on a baby in my story, have been part of that gift and I cherish it. ALWAYS. Yeaaahhh my man Rick can give a helluva speech. I always worry if I captured it right and if it felt honest to his character. Thank you for your assurance that I did my best. Thank you for loving my version of Carl and for sideeyeing dem hoes of the Sanctuary Proxy Court.

PS: You still ready to start a campaign on Tumblr? Asking for a friend.

Comewithnattah you are my moon and my stars and everything that is right in the world of sisterwives! I adore you and I read your reviews at least twice a month. YOU GET ME and it shows! When you wrote that hustler line about Renee, man listen... I said in my very out loud voice "MY WIFE GETS ME!" Renee is gonna be fun to explore in the future and I'm so very lucky to have you. I adore every Hulk loving Three Stooges Kinky Love hair on your head.

Hello klockedin you're new! Welcome! Willkomen! Bienvenidos! Bon Jour! Thank you so much for your review. I hope you're enjoying the story so far and you're probably not going to see this for awhile as you're review was for Chapter 6 but looking forward to see how you like how The Kang is characterized here. Happy reading and thank you once again.

atm0000 listen... anyone who can't believe in the awesome that is Rick Grimes can kindly step to left and I hope they fall into a deep pit of darkness filled with tears of acid and die... too far... Possibly but yeah I agree with you. I can't imagine watching the show without him on it, which is why I don't watch the show anymore. From what I hear, I'm not missing out on much anyway. I don't do "torture Michonne" themes in my viewership or my readership so I'm happy I didn't have to watch that.

Thanks so much Flacagonzales! You been ride or die since the beginning and I appreciate you!

MannRN you and all GavRie (i've decided that's y'alls ship name from right now, have really surprised me with the affection you have for these semi original characters. I hope you still love this story with its ending I hope it kept you cackling in a good way.

Sigh... nwfanmega what can I say to you that you don't already know I'm going to say? The trials and tribulations of having a Samesies is hard work. YOU are hard work. Like how hard is it to keep a straight face around you? You're maniacal and I really do think you're one short of a full dozen... but then I think that's the main reason you understand me so well. Yes Breast meat damnit! Think about that for the rest of your days on this earth. That is my gift to you Brandi. As you are the very best gift to me. PS you're being best... sort of. Gets to writing damnit!

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't send the biggest hugs and my everlasting gratitude to thematsaidwelcome, isisnicole, tigerwalk3 blackgirlfairy fikfreak, RBGzMom, yellehughes, evealacran lolafairweather... y'all put up with a whole lot of crazy from me... and god knows how much more crazy y'all gonna have to deal with in the future, but know that your efforts are appreciated and admired.

Thank you so much emerealdislegirl, thefandomrandom, inkslinger21, chellepo1977 can08, siancore, amberjoy38, sassylilscorpio and all of you awesome contributors to this awesome fandom. Your talent still awes me you have been just glorious in your support of me and I send you the biggest of hugs and the sweetest words of encouragement to keep on keeping on in this world of writing our hearts out.

I would be even more remiss if I didn't send a huge loud shout out to the wonderful writers of weretheoneswhowrite for the welcoming support that they have provided not just to me but to other novices who have benefited from the advice and love this group has provided.

All my silent readers and my guests thank you for taking this journey with me and I hope you enjoyed the ride.

But most of all, to the best Beta, the most ultimate awesome that is fanwhofeelsthings. I wouldn't know where to begin except there would be no Vengeance if not for you. There would be no friendships for life if not for you. There would be no Winterscorpion if not for you. Thank you.

 **I LOVE Y'ALLLLLL!**

WinterScorpion out... for now.


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